


Lily-Shaped Gear

by Botticella89



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Complete, Cunnilingus, F/M, Graphic Description, Love Tragedy, Romantic Tragedy, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Tragedy, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, human and machine, humanXmachine, strong feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-04-21 17:58:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 113,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Botticella89/pseuds/Botticella89
Summary: Lilia was the typical woman going through her life until she was transported nearly 10,000 years into the future. At first believing she was in a coma dream but is rudely awakened. For a machine though, it presented an opportunity into what it means to be human and the price of hate which filled the heart of his twin.





	1. Welcome To Dreamland

**Author's Note:**

> **IMPORTANT NON-CANON STUFF:**  
>  The events of NieR/Drakengard have been pushed a little further into the future timeline wise. Including the Gestalt program and the White Chlorination Syndrome outbreak happens after the year 2018. The events of this fanficion follows _loosely_ that of the _NieR: Automata_ game and certain events have been pushed later timeline wise than canon. (If you wanna know more about the timeline go to the [Nier Wiki.](http://nier.wikia.com/wiki/Timelines))
> 
> The only date that are consistent which relates to this fic that are canon is The 243rd Descent Op (March 10th), everything else happens later than canon. 
> 
> **There is a day/night cycle in this fic!**
> 
> Fic cover I own.  
> 
> 
> I make no money from this. This is fanfiction. All hail Yoko Taro for he is Emil reincarnated to destroy our emotions! Hopefully, I have channeled him when I wrote this fanfic.
> 
> Huge props to my co-conspirator [Eravalefantasy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eravalefantasy) who kept me going writing this fanfic as well as my mega beta-reader. (Seriously, go check out her writing, she's awesome!)
> 
> Enjoy the fic!

She studied her reflection in the vanity mirror, the left side of her head straightened by a heavy duty hair straightener; feeling the heat originating from the styled locks of hair, while the alternative side was a kinky curly mess. Lilia failed to come up with an alternative to the everyday routine but the potential for looking like she woke up on the street didn't appeal.

Her long tresses pulled into a stylish bun behind her head, she sprayed her hair liberally to control it from crinkling until her return home that day.

Perfectly putting on her facial routine, her hazel-green eyes accentuated and warmed her caramel skin. The lipstick chosen the right shade to brighten her full lips.

Serious eyes inspected her office clothes, scrutinizing the folds were smooth and clear of wrinkles. Consisting of a reddish-purple button-up blouse, a black knee-length skirt, a wide belt at her waist that stressed her hour-glass figure, and black panty hose that led down to her shiny black heels. Lilia kept her back straight and her eyes forward.

Tapping her cell phone on, she speed-dialed a number she knew by heart. The screen showed a boy at the age of thirteen, with wooly hair, dark skin and his mother's gray eyes smiling warmly at her.

On the second ring the receiver answered.

"Hi Auntie!" said the boy, his voice cracking although he tried to hide it.

She smiled at his attempt to sound older and not a young teen. "Hi Markus, good mornin' to you. How are things over in Texas? Good grades?"

"Yes Auntie. We'll get our mid-semester reports cards soon."

"All A's right?"

"Um, I dunno about _that_."

She furrowed her brows. "You better not have a C on there."

"Oh, no! Nothin' like that." The teen quickly assured. "And I was thinkin' about joinin' the football team next year when I'm a freshman."

The hidden question made her freeze. _That's right… he'll start high school next year._

"I dunno Markus… your grades are more important than the football team."

"Oh, c'mon Auntie. They kick guys out when they fall below a B average. Can ya think about it?"

She sighed. It probably wouldn't hurt in the long run and the private school was stricter with schooling than the public school. She had little doubt that if he fell below their standards, he would be kicked from the team. Although it gave her a little pride, he thought to ask her, Lilia wasn't his guardian.

"When do you need to register?"

"On our last day of school."

That would be May 15th. "I'll talk to your grandma about it. We'll tell you at the beginning of May. You focus on your grades until then."

She heard a bell, and she looked at the clock. It'd be 6:45 in Texas right now.

"Oh! Gotta go for breakfast. Talk to ya later Auntie!"

"Be good! Love you!"

"I know. Bye!"

And the call was severed.

A melancholic smile graced her face. It had taken her years of saving each penny. What had happened the year before was the reason she had the finances to send him to that school. That's what she wanted for him, a school that didn't suffer from the dread of its gangs and drugs. Markus had been there for going on two years now. It had been rough for him at first with the rigidness of private school and being so many states away. But after the first semester, he had settled in easy and made new friends. Lilia missed him terribly. The moments on the phone were a poor substitute compared to when she used to see him several times a week. However, she braved the absence of him knowing this was for the best. The acceptance letter hung on her wall. A reminder that all her efforts weren't in vain.

She gave a brief glance to a photograph of her and a man in uniform that was taken Christmas day in 2013.

 _Bradly… your sacrifice wasn't in vain and I hope you're proud of him._ She thought to the static picture; a brief moment of longing and acceptance.

After that, she snagged her oversized purse and strolled out of her apartment before locking the door behind her, heels clunking on the carpet.

Once outside, she waited at the bus stop, hopped on once it arrived, and paid her toll. Taking her seat, the bus would take her to the IT center across town. Once she settled, Lilia put in her ear-buds connected to her phone and listened to music.

Summer was fast approaching, the days growing ever warmer. The moisture stuck to her skin.

On her way, she saw something peculiar. She thought she detected an electrical spark on the metal roof of the bus. Dismissing it as her imagination until it happened again, this time on the metal window frame of the set in front of her. Whispers from the other passengers about a spark let her know it wasn't just her.

The bus stopped as it skidded its wheels across the asphalt road; the force of the brakes being slammed on by the driver caused the passengers to swear. It only lasted half a second before the other vehicles around them experienced the same phenomenon and crashed into each other, the bus struck by a vehicle behind them. Tightly holding on to her purse and bracing herself from the impact, her heart raced.

_The hell was goin' on?!_

The sparks she and the other passengers witnessed increased in volume. A pressure pressed on their bodies as the metal bent and popped. In a panic, the passengers, including herself, vacated the bus. They hooted and hollered in hysteria.

Before she got into the line of panicked people to get out a deafening _boom_ overcame her. It enveloped her in a blinding light. It shocked her pores in its cool electricity. Lilia heard the terrified screams and wails of the other passengers along with her own. Her body felt compressed, and it twisted her insides.

The screams turned quiet as it was her own filling the void.

Just when her nerves couldn't take the electrical roller-coaster ride anymore. It all stopped in an instant as her body plunked on a hot surface. The scorched sizzle invaded her sinuses. Her stomach knotted so tightly it evacuated her morning breakfast into a vicious mess that half her face landed in before she blacked out.

When she came to, she realized two things. One, how disgusted she was at having bile over half her face and part of her hair. And two, the needle prodding ache she felt around her whole body. A similar feeling to when an arm or leg would fall asleep.

Pushing herself up just to get out of her own puke, the ice-cold needle prodding in her muscles intensified, but she pressed on until she was laying back and away from the acrid contents.

_Where the fuck...?!_

Her mind clouded as she reviewed her surroundings.

Decaying, collapsed buildings that were wrapped in vines and supporting giant trees whose roots weaved in fragmented, muddied windows. Thick gouges split many of the buildings, allowing her to observe the insides of hollow concrete floors that would have occupied many meetings, hirings, firings, and wages tediously earned. Said concrete and steel beams littered around their bases or stuck up like splinters on skin. The light had a delicate purple sheen in the early morning sun; the rays just peeking over the far left buildings. Its warmth caused the dew to permeate the air with humidity that was sticking to her skin. Rich green grass rose a couple feet high. In front of her was a demolished bridge that at the edge was a half hanging semi-trailer. Its shipping container was heavily rusted and half torn, spilling out the decomposing contents on the overgrown grass. Lilia herself was nestled within that musky grass, in a shallow depression of burned soil and a puddle of her own breakfast.

 _This has to be a dream._ She rationalized. Remembering getting on the city bus, taking her seat, that loud crunch of metal. Something about a spark? _Has to be. I must have been in an accident and I'm at the hospital. Is this what a coma dream feels like?_

Believing at that moment, her mind had conjured up the post-apocalyptic world. It was hauntingly beautiful in its own way. The empty quiet and isolation of no other humans in the vicinity. What ruined it from being perfect was the bile on the side of her head and hair. Although it wasn't the first time she had woken up in her own vomit. That part should have been taken out.

 _Sitting here with vomit on my face isn't gonna make this dream any better Lilia._ Warily thinking to herself as she opened her oversized purse for a makeup towelette. Using several to make sure she none of the vomit was left. Carelessly depositing them on the blackened ground. Then, taking out a travel bottle of alcohol-free _Crest_ to swirl around her foul-smelling mouth. The harsh mint flavor cut through the bile and the smell filled her sinuses of the pungent solution, spitting it out in a stream at her puke pile. Smacking her tongue on the roof of her mouth she felt the tingles.

Feeling less revolting in the dream world, she shakily pushed herself up; her small heeled shoes making it challenging. Nearly falling back down, she stood shakily to get out of the chard depression, grab her purse, and walk into the grass.

Now she had a better view of the lifeless cityscape that wasn't obstructed by dense grass.

The asphalt roads and sidewalks were in need of repair as the buildings themselves were. Tree roots and weathering cracked and fractured the once durable surface. Rusted vehicles—from cars, trucks and even mopeds—had doors unhinged, busted windows, and rotting tires covered in moss dotting the cracked asphalt. Smaller trees and patches of white flowers randomized their location within the grass and sidewalks.

Lilia walked toward the patch of asphalt careful not to stumble on a rock; heels not being the shoe of choice on uneven ground. Once she was certain of not landing on her voluminous rear-end, she leisurely walked down the broken road; noticing a pile of brownish metal on the right side of the road, half covering in the high grass. Curious, she walked toward it. On closer inspection it looked like one of those robots from a black and white classic _Hollywood_ film; the kind that would take over Earth and enslave the human population. With a cylinder-shaped body, silver-dollar sized rivets, the joints connected by a simple hinge with exposed wires, three segmented fingers, and a dome-shaped head that had two glass circles for eyes. She tapped it with the pointy end of her right heel see if it would come to life. Sadly, it remained motionless on the ground.

Continuing on the broken asphalt she spotted identical robot machine along with smaller ones that looked like R2-D2 with arms and paddle-like feet, that would reach up to her chest.

The first sign of animal life came in the form of a fucking _moose_. She'd seen pictures of them, but holy shit they were __huge!__  Its antlers towering over a stop sign and could have been as wide as she was tall. It was easily been eight feet at the humped shoulder. Staying well away from them she had to leave the asphalt and ducking into an over grown ally way. Coming out of the other side, she saw a steady stream below a crumbled overpass, its muted flow soothing.

To her right she was startled by a snap of some bushes and out came one of those small pod, R2-D2 looking machines walking on its flipper like feet, its eyes glowing a soft green.

Curiosity being a sin of hers, she cautiously approached the podling machine. Normally, she'd like to keep her distance, but the belief of her being in a dream made her bolder than usual. It noticed her but gave no expression of attacking. Its button shaped, dull green sensors for eyes stared unblinking at her.

"Well, hello there." she stated as she bent down to eye-level with the machine. "You're an awfully cute little thing." Lilia said in a tone she reserved when talking to children.

She then raised her left hand to touch and rub the crown of the small machine's head. Rubbing the dirt and flecks of rust on her fingers.

Its eyes flashed into a bright red and made a _wonk!_  sound before its arm like appendages made a windmill motion that knocked her arm aside. Lilia made a shriek as the pain flared from the impact. Her heart raced as she landed on her butt and shifted herself from the sudden violent machine. It then leapt in the air to body slam her, but she rolled at the last second, quickly scrambling to her feet. Losing a heel, she limped away.

At a safe distance from the machine, she inspected her aching arm; the pain making itself clear as her adrenaline subsided and breathing relaxed. It wasn't broken, thankfully, but _damn_ it hurt like hell. It was already swelling and forming a knotted bruise. Lilia knew she wouldn't be using that arm for a while. At least, not for any heavy lifting.

 _Wait, a minute!_ She realized in horror, _If this is a coma dream, why the fuck did I feel pain?!_

The gnawing thought eclipsed in her mind, that people don't experience pain in dreams. The notion unsettling and unthinkable for her to consider that the present moment as reality.

Dismissing it as some muscle or nerve memory that made her brain think this was real, she rationalized. Lilia couldn't conceive the suggestion that she was thousands of years into the future, or some other fool thing. She laughed, finding it all too ridiculous. Dealing with the sore arm and achy ankle will have to be tolerated within her dream.

 _At least, I'm not running from spiders._  Quickly stifling the thought, best not give her over-active imaginary dreamland any ideas. _As long as I leave those machines alone, I'll be all right. And the moose._

Later, she added boars to that list, too.

—xxx—

Failing to realize that using that Small Stubby's visual sensors, two other pairs of reddish eyes scrutinized the exchange. Fascinated and curious. The synthetic network within their heads analyzing the new data with obsession. At least, for one than the other.

They had attached themselves to that end of the machine network when readings of a EMP explosion came from the city ruins area. Curious what caused it, but they were busy at the time playing at a neighboring city. Once they noticed the strange android model, they stopped playing and peeked through the network to see.

His other half with short-cropped hair dismissed it, thinking it faulty or new YoRHa android.

However, his older twin—more curious than the other—wanted a better inspection of this android. "I think I'll see for myself brother. If it is a YoRHa model, I'm curious to see what its primary function is. We've not seen one that looks like that before."

The laid-back twin scratched his chin. "Has to be deficient for sure. Don't you think so?"

"If it is deficient, then we have nothing to worry about."

His twin looked at him with uncertainty. "You're not leaving are you?"

"You'll be fine, Eve. I'll be back once my curiosity is satisfied. Here," he gave him a book, "read some of this while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it."

His brother sighed as he took the book from him, dejected by the fact he would be alone without his twin, "Fine. Just hurry it up all right? I wanna finish playing."

"Of course. I'll be back soon." The older twin promised and in a flash of golden-yellow light he teleported away.

Eve looked around, anxiety bubbling in his chest of being alone. He looked at the book his wonderful brother gave him. It was a human book, something Adam loved to read.

Adam loved human things.

—xxx—

A loud ring blared through the scorching desert and a screen materialized from Pod 042.

"Operator 6O to 2B. Come in 2B."

"2B here, go ahead."

"There was seismic activity in the City Ruins, it also produced a small EMP blast and many of our way points and communications are down for the area. You and 9S are to investigate."

"Understood."

"I've uploaded the coordinates to the approximate area to your Pod and updated your map. Good luck 2B! Operator out!" The screen disintegrated once the call was severed.

"That could have been the source of that blast we detected." 9S hypothesized.

"9S's hypothesis is valid. Proposal: proceed to the area and investigate." Her pod droned out.

"Let's go then. But, let's not forget about you Little Sister."

"Oh! I hope no one got hurt from that blast." The large biped with a purple bow said with concern. "Oh look! We made it out! Thanks for bringing me! I can make my way back home from here. And you'll tell me how to make children! Bye 9S! Bye grouchy lady!"

As they were making their way up the rocky sandstone, 9S couldn't help but voice his complaint about sand in his shoes. 2B ignored his complaint and the uncomfortable feeling in her shoes and dress. Her tacky, elastic skin impervious to the drying brought by the sun's rays. Her internal filters shifted out the dusty air and cleaning the synthetic oil inside her body. She'd deal with it once it was time for her routine maintenance back at the Resistance camp.

The dry, arid environment gave way to the decaying city.

Nearing the location given by Operator 6O, she felt the residual electrical charge brought by the EMP. Small spasms could be felt in her wiring and circuitry, but not enough to hinder her primary function.

Several of the buildings had crumbled further from the event. They knew they found the exact location that was the origin of the EMP charge, both by the concentration of leftover ions and by burns within the ground. It was in the clearing nestled within the city itself, approximately three meters in diameter. The docile machines that grouped in the area lay motionless and unresponsive, no doubt destroyed by the EMP.

What was strange was the smell of acid. A slimy pile within the scorched earth was the source. Along with white cloths they found that also had the smell inter-mixed with a cleaning agent.

Their drives recording the location and detail to relay back to the Bunker for later analysis.

2B's pod piped up in is usual monotone, "Detecting a faint trail by the charge of the blast. Proposal: Follow the trail."

The other Pod chimed in with a more female monotone, "Hypothesis: It is possible that the residual charge is within the source of the disruption."

"Well, let's follow it. It could be something else the machines are doing. Besides whatever that thing was we saw in the desert a month ago." 9S reasoned, disliking the strange turn of circumstance of late.

"Agreed. Pod follow the trail, we'll be behind you."

"Affirmative."

—xxx—

Now _her_ dream was taking a strange turn of events. Machines running an amusement park? It was rather charming to be frank. They'd even painted their faces into smiles and dressed in jesters costumes. Twirling around while spraying bits of colorful confetti from their tiny arms. The doorman went on about collecting ten stamps for a prize. Down the main avenue, at the center of the park, was a white, giant, fantasy inspired castle that was built in a way to allow a misshapen heart shape in the middle. Bright fireworks exploded and fired around the castle like she had seen out of a _Disneyland_ commercial.

Despite the occupation of the gleeful machines, the park itself drastically needed reconstruction. The brick and stone crumbled from the roofs, windows shattered, the once brilliant colors inlaid were saturated heavily, and moss and vines formed a haphazard jumble. If she peered closely, she could make out the pictures that were once painted on some buildings. Time and the elements had diminished them to a flaky and tarnished patchwork. Not wanting to speculate of what the once grand and childlike buildings looked like on the inside, she continued onward.

Lilia rolled her eyes at the utter ridiculousness of it all. She chuckled and didn't complain. Her bare feet touching the cool cobblestone and the loose confetti on the ground. After losing her shoe with that machine from earlier, she put the other in her purse. Seeing no benefit to walking around with one heel on. Her black pantyhose the only thing covering her feet.

"HappIneS comE be hAppy!" The little and big machines would say while twirling and spraying colorful confetti from their hands.

"Play! Play! Come see the play! _Romeos and Juliets_!"

"Play?" She asked to the hovering machine with a yellow string wig and a doll painted face.

"Oh yes! Come see! It's so wonderful!" The flying machine taking off to the castle at the middle of the amusement park.

Lilia smiled and went along with it. This could be fun! The ache she felt on her arm forgotten as she followed the flying machine.

"Welcome! Welcome! Come watch _Romeos and Juliets_!" The doorman for the castle stated, opening the door for her.

Inside the castle wasn't as grand or lustrous as the outside. The wallpaper and carpeting was something to be desired. Littered with heavy soiled stains and bits of trash and debris peppered the room and the theater room. And she didn't even want to know the oily, gunk feeling she felt beneath her feet was. The same types of machines she saw outside were within the room. Waiting for the show to start. Apparently this dream didn't believe in chairs. So she took to herself to find a spot semi-clear of litter and stains to stand and wait.

A few moments later a tall machine with a top hat came out and announced, "Welcome! We present _Romeos and Juliets_! Have fun! Enjoy your stay!"

It exited the stage and the ragged curtains parted.

A podling, purple in color, ran out and said in its digitized monotone, "Romeo, O Romeo. Where art thou Romeo?"

Five other podling machines came out after a line as spoken by one of them. Reciting a line from the classic Shakespearean tragedy. Before they wailed and punched each other screaming "Die you bastard!" "I hate you!" and so on. She stared in bewildered amazement before she busted out laughing at the sheer absurdity of it.

Lilia laughed harder when the last podling was still standing, then exploded declaring, "I cannot live without my Romeo."

She clapped and shouted, "Bravo! Bravo!" forgetting the pain from her sore arm from the jolts of her enthusiastic claps. Uncaring that she could feel the eyes of the machines in the room on her.

 _That was some stupidly amusing shit right there! A-haha!_  

Once her mirth had died down, the announcer came up to her. "You haven't been here before. Here's a stamp!"

 _Oh! That's right! The stamps._  She pulled out the card she was given, and the machine punched a stamp into the stiff card. The ink drying quickly.

"Come back again!"

Thanking the machine before walking outside. The air had warmed from the sun, leaving a pleasant feel to the air from the crisp morning.

 _I guess even in a dream the weather can be nice too._  

She over-looked the dull, green-brown moat around the castle. Leaning over the railing, the water shining her reflection on the calm surface along with the clouds that dotted the sky. Noting her hair becoming its usual state of wiry curls as it rebelliously tried to pull out of the bun. She sighed dejectedly. Even in her dreams she couldn't escape her rebellious hair, no matter how much she pressed, sprayed, and wove it in a bun or braid.

Lilia concentrated on her reflection, willing her hair straight.

Nope. Access denied.

_Gah! Not even in my dreams!_

Walking haltingly back into the castle she asked the doorman where the restrooms were.

"What's a restroom?" was her answer.

Popping her hip out in frustration, she walked her way through the foyer and peeked into the side rooms until she saw a crumbled sign for a restroom. The windows in the hall providing enough light for her to see that the mirror was broken, and the glass shattered on the floor in the women's room. She could swear she felt her eyebrows melt from the smell. Quickly closing the door. She eyed the men's room sign.

She sighed in annoyance. _Oh come on! This is a dream and doubtful those machines care which toilet you use._

Peeking into the men's room, she was thankful that the floor was not occupied by glass, or other nasty things. Throwing out her social propriety, she went inside to do her business (while _not_ sitting on the toilets). Then she tried to tame her hair and put it back in a bun. Lilia had to ignore the skeleton of a dead raccoon in the last stall and pretended not see a rat scurry at the corner of her eye. Rolling her eyes, she'd seen worse bathrooms than this in her life, the kind that had a passed out junky who hadn't bathed in a month sitting on a dull floor covered in piss, shit, jizz and leftover needles.

Scampering out as fast as possible and back into the main park area, Lilia looked around.

_So, what else is there to do here?_

—xxx—

Reddish eyes inspected the park area observing the android model interacting with the disconnected machines. What was it the humans called this? Fun? Amusement? Entertainment? His booted feet perched on one of the over-sized limbs of a great oak tree on the perimeter of the park ruins. His sensors detected faint traces of the EMP explosion on the new YoRHa android model. He detected no outward shielding or pulse of an emitter that would have protected this android. Strange. Also it lacked one of those Pod machines the new models had with them as a support aid. And what did it use as a defense weapon? No attachments were visible except for the bag across its shoulder.

During his studies of the humans he'd seen such a thing called a "carry-on bag" or "purse." Perhaps such defenses are contained within?

Highly impractical, not when they could use energy to hold their weapons. The YoRHa appeared to have been subjected to a logic virus to have created such a useless android model. He crossed his arms against his naked chest as he continued to observe, using his hearing amplifiers to listen in on her conversations with the disconnected machines.

"I've seen the machines outside, they don't do much. Even though one of them hurt me when I touched it."

"Oh! I'm sorry you were hurt! Those are still connected to the server. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Just a bruise on my arm. That server you mentioned, it's a network for all the machines?"

"Oh yes! But we aren't connected anymore. We want to have fun here. Be happy!"

"That's good I suppose. Are there any other machines like you?"

The flying machine bobbed and whizzed in its interpretation of excitement, "We live next door to some machines that are peaceful. Would you like to meet them?"

He noted the gesture of the android scratching its jaw and a hand on her curvy hip.

"Well, why not? Can you take me?"

"Oh sure! Right this way!"

Examining the android's movements, Adam was _convinced_ the YoRHa has lost their sense of android designs. The android's movements were slow, awkward and could hardly keep up with the machine. Its choice in clothes were a great impairment. And did he hear the noise of breath from the android? Foolish. A waste of materials and internal resources required for breathing. Androids and machines both had no use for the action.

Adam watched the departure of the Small Flyer as the android entered the grouping of machines. A village by human specifications. He was uninterested in their life and indifferent with them being disconnected from the server.

He lingered to view the android, wanting to decipher its function, and perhaps glean insight on the intentions of the humans on the moon.

—xxx—

She followed the flying machine as best she could, her knee-length skirt making it difficult. Feet struggled on rugged wood planks used to build a rudimentary bridge that led deeper into the woods. The trees grew immeasurably tall, towering like the multistory buildings in her home of Atlanta. Their woven limbs created the iconic cone shape at the top third of the trees. A mixture of pine and oak packed together, the spaces between them creating pathways for the deer she saw to graze. Musk, the warming of the sun, and the permeating stench of life's regeneration of resources invaded her senses. The does and fawns making their bleats to each other, the birds in the treetops singing to one another, and the occasional pop and break of wood and rustle of the fallen leaves created a soft symphony of noise.

Lilia heard the machines before she entered the village, their mechanical whirs a distinguished contrast to the natural sounds of the wood.

Gazing wide-eyed at the village of machines, she couldn't believe how outrageous her dream was. It was akin to something out of a sci-fi movie on primitive, other-worldly natives. The machines had taken misshapen, cut wood and assembled a structure circling one of the giant trees, to make, well, a tree house. Ladders connected the different segments of the tree house.

She heard the robotic sound of children below her and spied small machines in a game of play—chasing and giggling, kicking up the dark, moist earth blended with dead roots and decayed leaves. She smiled and thought it adorable.

One of the big and tall machines spotted her at the end of the bridge and waved at her. She waved back and approached. She was intimidated considering the machine was at least twice her height. While probably break her like Bane did to Batman.

"Hello, is this, um, the peaceful machine village I heard about?" She forced out in her most friendly manner.

"Oh yes, are you one of the androids from Anemone's camp?"

 _Uh? Android? Anemone?_ "Excuse me?"

"You're not from the Resistance outpost?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm, uh, not from around here. I was at the amusement park and one of the machines there told me about this place. I thought I'd pay a visit."

"So, you're visiting? Visiting is good."

Lilia smiled and nodded, "Are you the leader here?" She asked.

"Oh no. Pascal is. He helped bring us together and build this place."

"Can I come in and meet Pascal? This village looks interesting!" Wondering what was in store for her with how well her imaginative dream was going with this village.

"As long as you mean no harm, you're more than welcome in."

"Thank you."

"Pascal is up there." The machine pointed to the second floor of the tree house. "Usually."

Lilia thanked the machine again and made her way through the village. Her sin of curiosity getting the betterment of her, again. Detouring to meet other machines, she even found a weapons shop and items. Way too close to one of those role-playing games she loved. Unfortunately, she had no, uh, G, on her. Why was it that when she wanted to materialize something it never materialized, but her imaginative mind could come up with other weird shit? Oh well.

And that Jean Paul machine… said some convoluted things that made her brain hurt. Something or another about existence. The machine next to him explained that he was a "philosopher", but he was a jerk more like.

In the middle of talking to one of the child machines, one of them shouted "Uncle Pascal! Are you here to play?"

Lilia turned to the machine who had come up behind her. He was built differently than the others, not much, but enough to make him recognizable. It reminded her of those old black and white sci-fi movies, with a bulky torso, skinny arms and legs, and large glass bulbs for eyes.

"I'm sorry children, but I heard about our visitor. Thought I'd come say hello."

Now that was a surprise, 'Uncle Pascal' had a female voice box. The kind, motherly type. Brushing it aside for introductions.

Well, to not be rude.

"Hello, Pascal. I'm Lilia, nice to meet you."

"Thank you. Children, can I talk to our visitor please? Go over to the play area."

"OK Uncle Pascal! Don't forget to play with us later!" And the gang of child machines bounced away.

She gave the machine a warm smile and said, "You have such a nice village."

"Thank you. We try to maintain a pacifist living here. We've given up our need to fight a long time ago. Are you one of the other androids? I know Anemone needs those fuel filters, and I'm almost finished with them."

A faint blush came across her cheeks as she admitted, "Oh, um. I don't know Anemone. I… am not from around here."

"Then you're from YoRHa, yes? I hope your Commander understands we really are peaceful and mean no harm. I've met two of the other androids, 2B and 9S. I got the feeling they didn't quite believe me I'm afraid," Pascal explained.

"Um," _Just go along with it, it's a dream. Remember?_  "Yes, I'm... scouting. Gathering information. I thought I'd gather intel on your village. More than what you gave to… 2B and 9S." _Mention that Commander person too._  "The… Commander wanted me to run an assessment on the village. And if you knew of any other villages like yours." _Way to go playing it cool Lilia. Ten-out-of-ten on bullshitting in a dream._

The robot-machine looked down in disappointment. "I really hope your Commander doesn't see us as a threat."

"Oh! Um, the Commander is being… cautious." She crossed her arms and shifted her feet.

"I see. It's understandable with the war with machines and androids."

_Whoa! A war? Alright brain, no need to go this sci-fi on me in a dream. Not complaining that much though. Just keep shooting the shit. Just say the standard._

"War is a terrible thing." _Okay not that standard._

"It is. Many of us grew tired of fighting since we've had no communication with our creators for centuries. I've told 2B and 9S as much."

_Creators? OK either humans or aliens. With how weird this dream is, I'm going aliens._

Pascal continued, "As for other villages. There are others who've disconnected from the server. Not all of them friendly. There's one in the forest region to the north of here that's hostile of late. I'd avoid them. And another in the abandoned factory in the city that's forming. I'm unsure of them though. Without being linked to our creator's server, we aren't aware of each other anymore."

Lilia hummed noncommittally before asking, "Your…. creators. Do you know why you've not heard from them in centuries?"

"I'm afraid not." The machine replied regretfully. "Few machine models were consistently in direct contact. The ones you see here were only developed for fighting. Including myself."

"This, um, server, do you know where it is?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. Once we disconnected and destroyed our plug-in to connect to the server, it's part of our program to delete that information. We haven't given it much consideration since we did."

 _Heh, maybe their dead by the sounds of it._ Although Lilia kept that thought to herself.

"It's alright. It's good to see… friendly machines for a change in this war."

Pascal made the sound of soft laughter, "Likewise. I really hope things work out between us and your Commander. I want us to get along and live harmoniously together. Maybe even the humans on the moon can return too."

_Humans on the moon?! What?_

Clearing her throat from her astonishment she said, "Me too." Lilia smiled and bounced on the balls of her naked heels. Hoping that the bullshitting was over with for the time being. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course!"

"Could I, um, stay here for a while? I'd like to gather more information about your village for a longer stay. If you can't I totally get it!"

"Oh no! It's fine. We have a small room at the top of the tree for you to use."

Can't beat a super friendly machine. Besides, she'd always wondered what I'd be like to be in a tree house. Since she grew up in the city all her life and the only trees, she saw frequently were the shriveled-up trees at the local park. One of those long-lost childhood dreams, such as what I'd be like to be a farmer's wife milking cows for a living.

By then the sun was high up and its warmth beat down on her, the woods circulating the humidity, and beads of perspiration dotted her forehead and she could feel the wet nastiness on her armpits, bra and groin. She didn't even want to think about how shriveled and wild the short ends of her hair looked like.

Where ever she was outside of her dream must be making her feel this way. Turn on the air conditioning _please_.

Her stomach rumbled in protest of being empty. She could sense a dusking of pink on her cheeks. Luckily Pascal had seen to her room and had left. Which was little more than a cubicle with a bench for her to sit.

_Great, now I feel hungry in my dreams._

She'd feel more self-conscious about herself, but she reasoned it was a dream and these were machines anyway, she unbuttoned her blouse and pulled off her pantyhose. She looked at the large purple-black bruise on her arm from that machine attack earlier, sighing in annoyance.

Lilia dug through her purse for that apple she remembered packing as a snack for work. Biting into it as she watched the village of machines from the open window, she'd had vivid dreams before, but not in this detail. First time for everything though.

—xxx—

2B and 9S neared Pascal's village. The trail of ions had been very confusing for the androids since they began finding the source of the EMP blast.

First, it was through the overgrown city which had them find a shoe that had a significant accumulation of that EMP charge ions. Then, through the amusement park. Now, toward Pascal's village.

9S's suspicious nature reared its grotesque head and he vocalized his mistrust, once again stating that something was going on within the village of machines. 2B was swift to reject them.

Pascal had expressed no indicators of deceit. Although, she begrudgingly agreed it couldn't be ruled out.

The villagers greeted them on their appearance, and Pascal stopped his discussion with the item shop machine.

"Oh! 2B! 9S! Wonderful for you to be here. I've just finished speaking to another android named Lilia."

"Who?" Her speech was cool, but confusion rattled in her data bank.

"Lilia. She reported that she was sent here by your Commander to gather information on our village and other's like ours that are disconnected from the server."

"2B do you know of this Lilia? I don't know of any 'Lilia' model at YoRHa." 9S asked, confusion clear in his query.

"I don't." she answered, "Pod, contact the Bunker."

"Negative. Communications are still disabled for the area."

"Damn." She cursed in irritation.

Pascal watched the brief exchange and, what he understood to be worry, rattled in his metal shell, "2B, what's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"Pascal, did you detect an EMP blast earlier today? Perhaps seismic activity at the same time?" 9S asked promptly.

"Our sensors indicated a tremor this morning from the city area. Why?"

"We were assigned to investigate that blast. It knocked out our comms within the city and some surrounding area." 2B explained, "Our support Pods indicated a trail that had a concentration of the residual ions that has led us here to your village. Besides this, 'Lilia' have you noticed anything unusual?"

"2B, what if Pascal is a part of that blast?" 9S hissed out forcibly.

"Your suggestion has been noted 9S." She stated dismissively.

Pascal sighed, "I can understand his suspicion 2B. But, no, other than this Lilia android, things have been normal here. She's been very pleasant if not nervous, I think. Maybe this is her first time leaving YoRHa?" He offered as an explanation for her behavior.

"Perhaps. We should speak to her."

—xxx—

She examined the wavering trees with boredom. Even though she could swear she sensed eyes on herself, she dismissed it as her normal shy nature of taking her work shirt off. She observed two humanoid looking people running into the village from where she had arrived. Maybe those are the androids Pascal mentioned? Lilia could see they wore all black attire and had white-ish hair, and what was that on their backs and floating next to them?

 _If this dream could get any stranger_ , she thought.

"Excuse me?" A tiny voice said while pulling on the hem of her skirt.

Turning her head to regard the origin, which was one of the short child-like machines. Whom was with a group of its friends.

"You're one of the androids? Uncle Pascal said you're our guest."

"What's a 'guest'?" Interrupted one of the other child machines.

Lilia turned around fully on her seat to look upon the group of child robots. Amused beyond expectation at how much they act like actual children. "A guest is someone you invite into your home." She explained simply.

They hummed and whirred in excitement.

"Can guests play with us?"

"Sure!"

A chorus of "please play with us" erupted from the gaggle of child-bots.

Lilia regarded the over-eager metallic children. "Hey," said in inspiration, "would you guys like to hear a story?"

A chorus of "A story?" "What's a story?" was her answer.

"A story is… um, a… tale, er account of an event. For entertainment. They usually have a meanin' to them. Um, humans had lots of them. They love stories."

"Really? tell us one!" Followed by a symphony of "Yes!", "Please", and "Tell one!"

"OK, hum," She took a moment to consider of one, but came up with the one she knew the best from her childhood. "How about the story of _The Little Mermaid_?"

"What's a mermaid?"

 _Oh right, they wouldn't know what that is._ "A mermaid is a made-up creature, that's has the top half of a human, but the bottom part of a fish. A _mermaid_ specifically has the top half of a female human. And they live in the ocean."

"Were they real?"

"No. It's a fictional story, but do you want me to tell it or not?" She rolled her eyes exasperated but amused.

"Okaaaay. We'll be quiet." One of the children stated exasperatingly. The rest followed suit and sat on the wood planks watching her keenly.

She smiled as she got comfortable on the wooden bench she had been sitting on.

Clearing her throat, she began, "A long time ago, humans roamed the seas with ships made of wood. In the deepest ocean there lived a little mermaid who longed to live among humans. She collected everything she could from them. Trinkets, coins, clothin'. Her father, the king of the mer people, forbade her. He was fierce in his protection and love of his only daughter. The little mermaid was undeterred by her father's command.

"One day, she saw the shadow of a boat above her secret collection away from her father's underwater castle. Excited, she swam as fast as she could to see the human men workin' on the boat. As she often did.

"She watched a young man work the boat. He was dashin' and handsome and she found herself growin' fond of him the longer she watched and listened to him.

"Abruptly, a storm came. The boat thrashed violently from the waves and hard wind. In horror, the mermaid watched as the young man was thrown overboard by one of the sails. Which had knocked him out cold. He would surely drown and die.

"She swam as fast as she could to save him. Trying her best to keep him above water so he wouldn't drown. She prayed to the gods to help and give her strength. The storm abated and took him to shore. She felt so happy to have saved him. Thankin' the gods to have heard her prayer she sang a song. The wonderful tune stirred the young man from his slumber. The little mermaid, shy and frightened, leapt back into the ocean.

"She wanted deeply to have human legs and be with the young man she had fallen for.

"Her father found out what had happened. And with fear and his fatherly duty of protectin' his daughter, he found the collection of human things she kept, and destroyed them. Then, locked her in the castle.

"She swore a vow to have human legs and be with the young man. What she didn't realize is that servants of the sea-witch—"

"What's a sea-witch?" one of the children asked abruptly.

"A… bad person who can do magic."

"What's magic?"

 _Jesus Christ..._  "It's… when someone can do impossible feats with spells."

"What's a spell?"

"A command, to nature mostly. Now can I get on with the story?"

They were silent.

"Okay, now the sea-witch's servants had watched the exchange between father and daughter. They found their way into the castle and told the little mermaid that the sea-witch, their master, could help her get legs and be with the human man.

"Her heart, filled with love and longin', escaped the castle with the two servants. Bringin' her to the sea-witch's cave. Where she agreed to work her magic and give her legs, but there was three conditions she must endure and fulfill or suffer a fate worse than death.

"First, she would have legs and be human fully, but every step she would take would be excruciating pain. Second, she would lose her voice. Last, she must seduce the young man and be given her first kiss by him in three days' time. She agreed without a second thought.

"The sea-witch laughed as she weaved her spell. Her fin slowly turned to legs, and she found it hard to breathe. Swimmin' as fast as she could to the surface while the sea-witch's laugh echoed from the ocean floor.

"She found the shore where she had left the man and crawled onto the sand. The little mermaid filled with joy as she stared at herself. Seeing toes and feet instead of a flipper. As fate would have it, the young man was walkin' the shore that day, lookin' for the person who saved him. He saw the little mermaid—now human—alone and naked at the shore. He ran to her to see the matter. Her heart filled with joy at seeing him, took her first step, only to cry in pain as she collapsed on the sandy beach.

"The man flung his coat over her and picked her up to take to his home. Where he lived as the lord of the land. The sea-witch's spell promise rang true. Her steps caused her pain and she couldn't speak to the man to confess that she saved him. Try as she may, she couldn't convey to him her love and devotion. In dismay, she witnessed him fall for another woman. Her hope dashed.

"By dusk on the third day the sea-witch came to collect from the little mermaid. Where she revealed that it was all a plot of revenge against her father. For he banished her long ago and was the reason for her exile. The little mermaid was the world to her father, and since the sea-witch couldn't best him, she would break his heart instead.

"Right at that moment her father came up from the sea, eyes wide in horror. The little mermaid took her final step of being human and jumped toward her father, but instead of catchin' his darlin' daughter, he only caught sea foam. The sea-witch's menacing laugh echoed throughout the shore."

She was silent at the end of the tale. The child-bots would look on with full eyes—if they had eyes.

"Is that the end?" asked by one of them.

Lilia nodded, "Yup."

"Tell us another one!" And the rest repeated it while bouncing.

"Children, that's enough," she heard Pascal say from her left side. She had heard him approach but thought little of it. Behind him were the two androids she saw from earlier. "Go to the playground, I have to talk to Lilia."

"Can she come play with us later?"

"We'll see. Now go play."

The child-bots huffed away. She got up from her seat to regard Pascal and what she presumed were the two androids. To be real frank, they both looked like anime cosplayers. She didn't complain considering the female looking one was rather cute. Having a moment of self-consciousness when she thought they were looking at her attentively. Lilia had her work shirt unbuttoned, revealing much of her torso. She didn't know whether the fact they were blind-folded made it less embarrassing.

_How did they go around blind-folded? And they had swords levitating behind them! Along with a weird floaty, box-shaped gadget beside them._

"Confirmed: the ion trail ends here." One of the gadgets said in a digitized male voice.

_What? Ion trail? And did that floating box just talk?! Alexia got a brother it seems!_

"Can you detect a black box signal?" Demanded the female android.

"Negative."

_The hell is a black box? And why would it give a signal?_

Lilia could feel the beginnings of trepidation in her breast. Is this where her dream became a nightmare? She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't given a… black box." She immediately declared.

"Negative," interjected the floating gadget, "All YoRHa models in service are issued a black box. It is their primary core and database."

_Well shit…_

"2B this could be another one of _those_." The boy android said cryptically.

 _'Those'? 'Those' what?_  Now she was highly confused and started second guessing herself. Lilia doubted they would believe what she said at that point. Since as she'd been caught in a lie and how Pascal wasn't endorsing her. Now would be a good point to wake up.

_Alright self, wake up! Rise and shine! Get up and eat your grits!_

Nothing.

_Time to shoot the shit._

Crossing her arms and being as nonchalant as possible she responded, "Look, I don't know what you're talkin' about. And I don't appreciate the accusatory tone you're givin' me Mr. Backstreet Boy."

"Excuse me?"

"Is your hearin' in need of repair?"

"Watch yourself machine—"

" _Machine_?!" Her hands instantly went to her hips at the indictment. "Take off that blind-fold you fool. Do I look like a machine? No offense Pascal."

The two supposed androids looked at each other.

"Proposal: Watch over the subject until communication with the Bunker is restored."

"Agreed." Said the female android.

Lilia gave a small sigh. Giving herself a chance to figure a way out this dilemma she dug herself into. She can't die in a dream thankfully.

_Okay, so their communications are down, for whatever reason. They think I'm a machine. Something about me having a trace amount of ions from a blast, which was a cause of their communication with their Commander being offline?_

_Gah! This is a dream so no wonder it doesn't make sense. None of this does. So why bother trying to figure it out?_

"Me too. And for the record, I haven't done anythin' to anyone. So, there's no reason to be cunty. I'm sure when you get your communication back, it'll sort itself out."

_That you've been a lying hag to fit in. Ten-out-of-ten in getting yourself into trouble, even in a dream. You don't have a clue of what's going on in this dream. You're not in control, apparently. This is so stupid._

_One big stupid, stupid dream._

She spun to leave the three of them behind.

"Where are you going?" The male android demanded.

"For a walk." She answered over her shoulder not bothering to look back. Lilia needed time to think.

She didn't get her chance to. The ground shook causing her to stumble on the wooden planks. The trees splintered and swayed violently. A whir of mechanical noises became louder. A machine that was the size of a bus, contorted in a shape comparable to a scorpion without pincers parted through the woods. The beady red sensors for eyes scanned the village. The child-bots and adult machines ran from the intruding machine.

_Aw hell…_

The scanning lasers zeroed in on her, conjoining in a single beam.

_Aw shit…_

"Target Identified... Capture..." It groaned out before it revved itself up into a giant leap into the air. Its long-segmented tail parting into a grab-a-toy claw as it reached for her.

Fear caused her freeze.

The machine's motion was cut short as the female android's sword sliced at the tail-claw. Stopping the machine from grabbing her. The boy android behind her. The gadgets spraying a stream of gun fire.

A cold pincer hand clutched her by the arm, wrenching her head to see who—

"C'mon! We have to get away from that Searcher!"

Before she could formulate a sentence, Pascal jumped down the tree with her, arms encircling around his head tightly. Too petrified to even scream, the impact knocked the wind out of her, but she held on even as Pascal, unfazed by the decent, ran toward the villagers. The sounds of the fight between that machine thing and the androids faded as they headed deeper into the woods.

Lilia needed a breather to handle whatever the _fuck_ just transpired. Pascal hurried around to make certain the other machines were okay.

It was short lived as they heard the clangs of the machine's stomps heading toward them along with the grunts, metallic clings of the android's swords, and gunfire. She could see the crimson light from its eye sensors as it closed in.

She looked back at the machines from the village who were terribly frightened by that machine. The child-bots produced the sound of crying.

_It wants me._

Tearing the side seams on her skirt apart. Then, she gulped the knot in her throat she mustered her courage and shouted, "Hey asshole! Come get me!" Before taking off in a sprint perpendicular of the machine, jumping over tree and vine to lead it away.

It worked.

Closer the stomps and clangs inched toward her. The trees cracked and collapsed to let the giant machine through. Her heart thumped hard in her chest as her lungs burned. Lilia had to ignore the pain on her exposed feet as she ran; hearing the sword swipes and gunfire behind her working to bring the machine down.

 _I'm stuck in a nightmare now and can't wake up!_ Lilia felt tree limbs and sharp bushes clawing on her clothes and flesh. A flash of a sharp object caught her on the shoulder, the searing pain made her adrenaline pump that much harder. Hard wired instincts to flee gave her feet the speed she needed.

A second later a blinding, burning sensation scorched her shoulder. Losing her footing and sense of direction from the impact, she failed to acknowledge that she had reached the end of the forest edge. She registered a brief flash and boom of an explosion before her body slammed into rocky soil. Her vision cycling between sky blue and red clay on the steep incline. Instincts screaming to snatch something, anything. Just as that instinct soared in her nerves, her head punched on a rock. The impact on her skull immediately sent her vision black.

Last she remembered was feeling no dirt scraping along her bruised and battered skin, the sensation of her stomach being yanked through her throat, the metallic tang of blood on her tongue, and the wind whistling faintly in her ears.

She would wake up now.


	2. Gutting

Curious red eyes scanned the android body in his naked arms. Immediate maintenance was required. The defunct machinery was raspy within the torso region, the pseudo carbon skin was warm to his touch, a scalding wound was on the shoulder that leaked a red substance that smelled like iron, and a dripping break in the skin on the android's left temple. Since when did the androids make pseudo skin so soft and had small hairs attached?

_That machine was connected to the server,_  he thought as he could feel its conscious tendrils once he was aware of the Searcher's presence at the village. _It had orders to capture this android, but for what purpose?_ He considered the situation as he looked at the knocked-out android in his arms. _Hm, why is that information locked from my clearance?_

Questions he immediately lost interest in.

_Hm, doesn't matter now does it? It's dead. No other need to fret._

The android missions and discontinued machines had little meaning to him. Along with repeating orders given to said lesser machines that were still connected to the server, such as the Searcher. An uncommon phenomenon since their creator's demise, save perhaps convincing the androids to bring the humans on the moon to Earth for study.

Why did he catch this android from descending from the crevasse?

_A sensory reaction,_ he speculated. _This android has information I want. It would be for the best if she gets repaired and I'll question her later._

The two androids that fought the Searcher had shut down since they were caught in the blast; their bodies lying in the dense, vine brush while their support pods watched.

The data collected as he overheard her in that machine village fascinated him—she knew details about human culture. In his inquiry and discovery, exceedingly few repositories of human culture and history survived on Earth. Only the structures made of steel and concrete were a prominent feature.

_What was that story she told?_ The Little Mermaid _? Fascinating story. Did the human's often construct such fantastical tales? With the remaining literature I've discovered, they did. With great frequency in fact._

Unfortunately, he knew nothing of the best means to repair an android. An unimportant venue for him.

Reasoning his best action was to transfer the android to that encampment of militants within the ruined city. Best let them take care of it.

—xxx—

 "Eh! O'er here!"

The Resistance camp turned to the outcry by one soldier, who carried in a body of an android. Or, wait, another Resistance fighter? The twins hadn't seen a model that looked like this before.

"Bring her over here," waved Devola into the repair tent.

The fighter did as he was asked before departing. The twins took a cursory look at the android model. Definitely not one either of them have seen before and they were some of the oldest still in existence. Back when—

Popola cleared her guilty thoughts. Now was the time to repair this android.

The most extensive damage was to her shoulder, where, based on the burn, was from one of the rail canons from a support Pod.

Stranger still, she saw none of the alloy casing below the carbon skin. The red liquid that caked on the wounds gave off a mineral smell of iron. Then, they saw the small peek of white bone.

Both Devola's and Popola's data bank sensors fired at the same time. A gnawing, wrenching pain in their chest they could not explain why. They had experienced this wound many thousands of years before, back when—

"Popola!"

"I'll get the kit!"

They had preserved it as an admonition of their sin. Although it wasn't them, they couldn't help but carry the memory with them. Devola carried her patient away gently in her arms to best not jostle her skull. She moved quickly from the repair tent into the sleeping room, as androids rarely needed it. Her twin arrived behind her with the kit. Once across the threshold, she slammed the door closed.

A small moan of anguish came from her patient and a protective feeling too strong to ignore twisted in her chest. Carefully, she arranged the patient's body on the bed. The red on her body had a trace of metal and was sticky to the touch. She remembered…

"Sister, we have to be sure." In Popola's hand was a DNA reader. Its soft curved shape fit neatly within her delicate hand, kept clean and preserved throughout the years.

Devola nodded. Watching her twin press the end of the device to the female's arm, a quick pop was heard, and the patient's body jolted from the needle prick. The twin's eye radicals glued themselves to the screen of the Old World device, waiting the seconds required for it to process.

It beeped a toll that demanded the twin's allegiance.

—xxx—

 Sweeping darkness and confused voices. _Am I still dreaming?_  She was weightless in a safe cocoon within her mind. Soft glows of color would be welcome.

Then, she would see a face she hadn't seen in many years. "Li-Li, please don't die." She pleaded before she was falling through shattered glass and swimming in a sea of pills and booze. Drowning in their calling, _enticing_ her.

Red, twin lights broke through the sea of seduction.

"Target Identified... Capture..." it menacingly stated in a voice of fire before she was yanked to shreds. Gone were her legs so she couldn't run. Gone were her arms so she couldn't fight. Gone were her throat so she couldn't scream.

Eyes ripping themselves apart. Her heart booming in her chest and beads of sweat stuck to her face. The room shifted as her brain worked itself out of her dream state. Panicking as she couldn't move.

This wasn't her room. Or her home.

_Where… am I?_

The splitting headache she felt forced out other thoughts. The somber light from the window burned her eyes. _Damn_ her head hadn't felt this much pain since—

_Am I still asleep?_

Feeling a pressure on her chest she peered down—

To see two sets of shining pink hair.

Slowly, she moved the tips of her fingers and arm. The jerky movement startled the two heads on her covered chest as they stared down at her with pale green eyes. Getting up to observe her from the side of the bed. They looked like twins. Did she get laid and got too rambunctious? It's been a long while since she did but—

"Good you're awake!" The one with straight hair excitedly stated.

Although she said it softly, the noise caused her eardrums to pop in protest and made her skull feel like it twisted on itself.

"Not… so… _loud_ …" She rasped through her bone dry, sandy throat. "Where…?" making a slight movement to raise herself, only to be halted by the same woman with smooth hair and by the blinding pain in her shoulder. Causing her to cry out and lay back in her original position.

"Don't move," whispered the one with straight hair, "you're seriously injured. Devola—"

The other one with wavy hair quickly brought over a dark bag of some sort with a spout. Faintly hearing a gurgle and splash within the bag.

"Drink," she said, "it's water." Placing the spout on her chapped lips.

_Water…._

Even though the woman with wavy hair held the water bag, her instincts to hold it took root. Her weak hands grasped the pouch with hers as she swallowed a sip.

_Oh damn it tastes so good._

Taking heady droughts of the cool, clean liquid until her thirst was satisfied, small drops ran from the corner of her mouth from her urgency to drink until Lilia's belly was full of the clear liquid.

She studied the two women with matching hair color and a flower around opposite the ears. The one with straight hair brushed away the liquid that had run down the side of her mouth using her thumb. Her hand cool to the touch and tacky like soft plastic.

If she was wounded, she'd be at a hospital…. but this looked like no hospital and they defiantly _didn’t_ look like nurses.

"Where... am I?" Her voice lost its initial raspiness, but it was still sore.

"You're at the Resistance camp. One of the soldiers found you and we are here to heal you."

_What… I…_ "I'm not… dreamin'?" Her brain dull and hazy, but recalled the machines she had spoken to at the amusement park and Pascal's village, along with the one she ran from to drive away from the peaceful machines. The explosion and the falling. A brief, muddied glimmer of a face with reddish eyes and silver hair.

_I… I have to be dreaming… right?_

Two looked at each other with consternation. The other woman responded, "No. We've dressed your wounds, and the ointment placed will heal you in a few days."

"We will get anything you require," the other woman continued, "But you cannot move from this bed until then." Her eyes stern and serious unlike her other counterpart.

"I—" she was cut short by another round of her pounding skull. Putting a weakened hand to the spot, only to feel the medical dressings that wrapped around. "My—"

The woman with straight hair and softer eyes guided her hand back to her sternum.

"You've suffered a skull fracture. We've done what we can to alleviate the pressure and reduce inflammation. It's essential to not move."

Lilia made a quiet chuckle before saying, "No wonder my head feels like someone took a hammer to it."

Her eyes drifted shut. Just the short conversation and gestures were enough to sap her strength.

Just before her eyes slid shut a weight of doom knotted in her breast. Or, it could have been the bruising that covered her ribs.

Thankfully, her dreams were devoid of meaning. The few moments she would open her eyes, she would only catch glimpses of one of the pink-haired twins. Catching her in that minute of wakefulness to have her drink water. When she would hear talking, it was disjointed and obscured.

—xxx—

Adam returned to his brother who was relieved to see him. His eyes scanned the drying substance was on his naked arm. It had flaked and smelled like iron.

"It was from that android," he quickly interjected, "one of the discontinued Searchers was after her and suffered a wound from it."

Eve let out a relieved breath. "Did… you sate your curiosity?"

"Not completely." Adam said honestly. "Despite her lack of abilities that the other androids possess, it seems as though she has knowledge of the humans and their culture. I'd like to pay more attention to her perhaps gain her trust. She told the leader of that village of pacifist machines she was sent by the android Commander to gather intel on them, although it seems to be a front. Those androids at our birth place were extremely suspicious of her. And look—"

He showed his brother the side-bag that the android carried. Adam procured it on his way to the android camp in the city. The machine village was still vacated when he entered it, but his curiosity to expose the secrets of the android demanded he fetch it.

"What's that?" Eve asked.

"Humans called this a 'side bag'. It was used to carry daily belongings where they went. That android had one." He explained.

Similar silver brows crooked at his twin. "And so, you took it?"

"Oh yes. Let us see what's inside!" He exclaimed excited.

"Okay, if that's what you want."

He placed the cloth bag on the table and quickly undid the buckles, exposing the contents. For hours Adam took in every detail of the items, wondering what their purpose was while his brother merely watched. Some he recognized from his studies about the humans such as the products that human females would place on their faces, for "beauty" he believed, all of which was contained in a separate bright red, cloth bag that opened via a zipper. Then a heeled, black shoe that was damp, but then he remembered that android wearing it at one point. He also recognized a grooming tool called a 'hairbrush'.

Others he did not recognize. A triangular device housed in a black case had a shallow hollow formed in the middle that looked strangely like a symbol of an apple. Most of what he discerned was the 'face' was black surrounded by a white frame except on one side he hypothesized was a button. Upon pressing it the black came to life in a splash of color. In the middle was a three-by-three row with numerical symbols encased in a circle. Enthralled, he pressed on the screen where the numbers where. After a few presses another screen popped up saying "Incorrect Password" and had the same numbers as before.

_What was on this device?_ He wondered. His exploration of the humans had no mention of this device.

Placing it down on the table he continued rummaging through the bag. There was also a similar looking device but much smaller that fit in the palm of his hand. Also running into the same problem as the larger one. Along with two clear containers which has some sort of substances within. A leather container that had a snap-on belt that kept it folded. On opening it, he found it had green, rectangular paper with numbers and images of different humans and a stone building on the opposite side on them both pieces of paper said "The United States of America" and "Federal Reserve". With these strange pieces of paper were thick cards with numbers on the side pockets which had "First-Citizens" or "Bank of America" on written them and a magnetic strip along the backside or a chip; several other types of cards were within these pockets as well.

What raised even more questions was a white card that had a picture of a woman that looked extremely similar to that android and the same first name. _Who_ _is_ _"Lilia Johnson Knight"?_  He made a mental note to ask that android about it.

_The similarities are too striking to pass up._  He thought. _Perhaps the androids designed her based on this human?_

Then, Adam's eye sensors saw a dull orange, rectangular shape the size of his palm. Inspecting the object as he held it.

"Brother, what's a 'Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Nut'? And what are those imprinted on it?"

"I don't know Eve. And those look like nuts of some kind. It says so here." Pointing to the letters at the bottom that read 'Dark Chocolate, Peanut & Almond.' "Humans would eat things like nuts. Perhaps its food? Feels as though something is inside." Adam remarked.

Eve shrugged, "You gonna open it?"

Adam examined the other side, which was covered in white and had smaller, plain lettering. Quickly discerning that it was a list of the contents within the packaging. Lifting the flap to see the "ingredients" listed. Why would the androids consume these things? Although he and his brother have digested the fruit called apples before even if their systems didn't require to do so.

_Where the androids consuming such things to be more like their creators?_  He hypothesized. It was the closest possibility he could conceive of.  _With how much of an enigma humans are, I can't say I blame them._

Hypothesizing that he needed to pull the flap and opposite side apart, he pinched the casing between both fingers and pulled. An end seal broke, exposing a gap. Continuing until it was completely open to expose the shine of the metallic casing. Poking a finger inside the opening he felt the rugged and sticky contents. Turning the item upside down, he pushed the contents out of the opening into his other hand.

Placing the case that the mixture of nuts and chocolate came with on the table as he and his brother inspected it. It had a faint salty smell and was covered in a sticky substance that held the nuts and chocolate together in its rectangular, bar form.

It was soft enough for him to break it in two and give a half to his brother for him. Adam was the first to chew on a portion of his half within his mouth. First thing he noticed was the hard crunch of the nuts before the tang of salt and sweet from the sticky substance hit his tongue. The subsequent chew had the soft chocolate pieces come into contact with his tongue, playing off that bitter-sweet flavor. Individual nuts separated from the sticky mixture, rolling around in his mouth. The sensors within his mouth reading the chemicals of the nuts and chocolate the more he crushed the mixture between his teeth. Hearing the effort of his teeth in his hearing apparatus. Once the mixture turned into a loose, chunky paste, he determined what he had in his mouth sufficed for swallowing, and he did so.

Spying his brother who tentatively bit into his own piece.

Adam could see the appeal of the androids wanting to consume such a thing.

—xxx—

 Light poked her eyes, rousing her from a comforting slumber. Her body ached from being in the same position for the time while she rested, and her head still felt terrible. She was warm in the musty room. The light that had woken her contorted into shapes and she could hear voices beyond it, though they were softly spoken and had an undertone of harshness. She groaned at trying to move as the memory from her last conscious wakefulness came to her.

_So... This isn't a dream? I am..._

Her head throbbed violently as it came to terms with her predicament.

_Then where... am I... ? What year is it? Machines...? Androids...? A war...? Are we really on the moon?_ _How? I…_

She didn't want to accept or think about it. Even when it was evident as the wrapping around her head and shoulder. Where she was _very_ much sore.

_This can't be... I'm hallucinating... I've gone crazy and I'm in a mental asylum. But the pain... the fear I felt when that machine..._

Pinching herself as hard as she could, Lilia cried. She had to be suffering a momentary lapse in her sanity. The idea that she very well nearly died when she ran from that giant machine and fell made little sense.

_Wait… if I fell, how did I end up here?_

Very carefully lifting herself to sit upright, the stiff bed creaked from her movements. Even those small actions made her feel exhausted. Realizing she was naked, a hard flush emanated from her cheeks as she pulled the rough blanket to cover bare breasts.

The voices from outside the cracked door halted and the source fully opened the door. It was one of the pink-haired twins that nursed her—the one with the wavy hair.

She turned to face who she had been talking to, "See? Now she's awake. Humans need their rest when they have been injured you fool!" Despite it been softly spoken, the harshness wasn't lost.

The twins entered. The blinding sunlight pierced through her skull harshly twisting her brain. They were at her side in an instant, telling her to lay back and continue to rest.

"I'm okay." She said to calm her two nurses, "Who were you talking to?" She asked quietly.

They both looked at each other.

"It's nothing." Said the straight haired one. "You focus on resting."

"I'm okay. Just... just tell me what's goin' on?"

"No, you're _not_ okay. Lay back down."

Sighing exasperatingly, "I'm _fine_ , just tell me who you were talkin' to please?"

"The two _morons_ who accidentally shot you." Sneered the wavy haired one.

_Who? Oh..._

"You mean 2B and 9S? They alright?"

Right then, they both entered the small room along with the two floating gadgets, closing the door behind them and cramping up the space allotted. The fact they were all looking at her intently made Lilia swallow the lump in her throat from all the attention. The twins showed a mixture of anger and annoyance at the two intruders.

"We are." Said 2B cooly, "The explosion caused us to shut down for a time. Pascal brought us here for maintenance. Unfortunately, the primary physicians were otherwise _preoccupied_."

The twins made an upturned face at her, one more than the other.

"Well... as long as you both are still OK."

"And that's all that needs to be said." Interjected the wavy-haired twin. "Now out both of you. She needs her rest. I'm sure Anemone has a mission for you two."

They walked out stiffly, 9S doing a double take back at Lilia.

"We're sorry," said the woman with straight hair, "they were ordered by the Commander at YoRHa to inspect you. It doesn't surprise me though. The most we androids have seen of the humans has been in the form of indirect communication from the moon."

_Why are we on the Moon?_

"We can discuss that later with her Popola," said the wavy-haired one. She then turned to Lilia, "Do you want anything?"

Before she could answer her stomach did for her. The loud growl and protest for food made her blush heavily. "Um... food?"

They both looked at each other.

"Do you... have anything for me to eat?"

"We... do not know." The straight haired one hesitated to say. "No one in camp needs any bio-fuel."

_Bio-fuel? Is that the androids need for food?_

"Oh... I guess there would be no need for you to eat considering… Um, never mind." She thought as best she could through her aching head, coming to a realization "My purse... do you have my purse? I have some granola bars in there I could eat."

They both blinked at her.

"I think it's still at Pascal's village. Could you see if it's still there? It's a black bag with the letters 'MK' on it."

The wavy-haired twin quickly nodded and left the room.

"Okay, so… are you gonna talk about what's going on?"

The straight-haired twin looked warily.

Lilia sighed dejectfully. "Look, I have no idea of how I got here and for all I know, or, er, knew, I was in a freggin' _dream_. So, either this is reality or I'm hallucinating in a psycho ward. Please, just... give it to me straight." Hoping the pleading tone in her voice would convince the android to fill in the details.

"I think... we should wait until my sister gets back."

Lilia slumped her shoulders as well as she could considering how sore they felt.

"Although, I'm not averse to telling you." She continued. "Seeing as though you have... markedly recovered from your injuries. How's your head?" She asked kindly.

Lilia sighed, "Hurts like a bitch, but I've had headaches like this before. As long as you don't shine a light to my face."

She smiled, "That's good. And I promise no lights. I noticed your pupil dilation was fine a moment ago. Here," she placed her hands in front of her, "Can you squeeze them? Or try to?"

Lilia complied, although her arms are shaky, she could squeeze the androids cool, tacky palms just fine.

"And do you feel a sensation here?" Before she ran a finger along the sole of her foot. Jerking her foot away. Repeating the action with the other foot.

"Good, you're not paralyzed!"

Lilia chuckled. She certainly had a friendlier demeanor than her twin.

Speaking of which, "I'm sorry, but I never asked your name. I'm Lilia."

"Alright... Lilia. I'm Popola. My sister's name is Devola."

"Popola and Devola, huh? Well, it's nice to meet you. You've both been very good nurses."

"Nurse? Oh, that's right. It's been a long while since we've taken care of a human, but at least our primary memories haven't been corrupted. It's good to see you are recovering well under—"

Devola entered the room, the bright light stinging her eyes before it was blocked by the door.

"I've spoken with Anemone. She is going to send 2B and 9S to Pascal's village to retrieve your... purse."

A grateful smile graced her lips. "Thank you."

"I've done a check on her while you were gone." Popola informed her twin. "The skull fracture didn't cause any paralysis and her muscles seem to be functioning properly, even if they are marginally weakened. I was about to check her wound dressings."

Devola quickly came to the other side of Lilia, who was feeling a tad bit shy as her blanket dropped back down, quickly crossing her arms to keep from exposing herself.

"We need to open the dressing." Devola calmly stated.

_This is stupid._  She thought. _They are androids, female models, and are nurses to boot. I highly doubt it's something they haven't seen before._

Putting her hands aside, Lilia let the cover fall.

The two androids put on a pair of nitrite gloves from a medical kit they had sitting on the dresser. Using a pair of medical shears, they cut a straight line through the linen slowly uncovering her skin and careful not to pull it. It stung in a few places, but one twin was there with an antiseptic cloth to help. Lilia lifted her arms as they pulled the used cloth bundle around her torso, lifting it from her skin. Said skin felt tender in the wounded area. They examined the leftover wound and Lilia turned her head to look, but all she could see was that the skin was bruised and flaky, like pulling an old scab out after the wound had already been closed. Settling her arms down at her sides again, Devola tossed the used bundle of medical linen to the floor.

"Excellent." Popola said with a smile on her face. "The ointment still works after all this time. You still have a nasty bruise around the area, but the skin itself is healed and I see no infection."

Devola nodded in agreement. "You should still watch yourself as you move around and lift objects. The muscles and tendons need time to rejuvenate."

Lilia nodded.

"Now," Devola continued, "let us see about the bandages on your head."

The same routine as before took place. Lilia’s wiry, curly hair making it difficult but the same result as her shoulder. She felt like she got punched rather a hammer to her skull. And they commented about minor swelling in the surrounding skin but was to be expected considering the location. She felt the area. It was tender to her touch and some hair was missing, but at least her brain wasn't oozing out.

Her stomach growled again as she blushed. She sighed, hoping that 2B and 9S quickly returned with her purse.

"Um..." she started to say, "I would still like to have that conversation with you both now."

Devola looked at her sister.

"She needs information," Popola clarified, "and I think it would be prudent if she told us what she knows in return."

The stern sister narrowed her eyes but agreed. "Only if she is up to it."

"I'm fine." She assured, "I may be weakened, but I still have a brain in my head."

"Very well." She went around to sit next to her sister and waited.

Apparently, it was up to her to make the first conversation. "Well... let me start off at the beginning..."

—xxx—

 By the end of the conversation, she was left with more questions than answers. She had no idea _how_ she even got to this century. The twins themselves didn't know that detail either. Well, that couldn't be helped now.

According to them, her human counterparts were on the moon. Having been chased by an alien invasion thousands of years ago in the year 5,012 CE. Said aliens are the ones who created the machine army. The androids, being of human design, were destined to fight them since humans are an endangered species now. However, for the last few centuries, six hundred and thirty-nine years to be exact, there has been no sign of the aliens. Which was around the time the machines started disconnecting and establishing their own communities.

_Maybe they're dead. Makes sense, right?_ Though, she kept that suspicion to herself.

Lilia had a nagging hunch that the twins weren't disclosing some important bits she needed to know but kept those reservations to herself for the time being.

_I don't need an in-depth history lesson for the—like what, nearly ten thousand years? But, Jesus really? We've been on the moon for almost six thousand years to take back Earth? Surely, we would've created intergalactic space ships by then or better weapons for all that time. Or hell, the three millennia since my time up until the aliens' invasion. Something seems fishy about it all._

The evidence she was here thousands of years into the future was hard to process. In the end, she came to terms with it. Perhaps there was a way to travel back? She didn't want to get her hopes up though in case there is no way back. If she stayed with her allies here, she'd be able to survive. If she didn’t go back to her time, maybe she could go to the moon and see the other humans. If that was possible.

"For now," Devola stated, "you are most important. It's vital we keep you safe. Stay in camp. Everyone here believes you're an android, and we'd like for it to stay that way. The last thing we need is the enemy machines knowing a human is walking around."

"But 2B and 9S know, right?"

"Yes, along with their Commander at YoRHa. She expressed and _made a point_  to keep this top secret until she speaks with the Council of Humanity on the moon. Not even the camp leader, Anemone knows."

She sighed ruefully, "Fine. But, won't they know something's up if they see me eating, bathing or going outside to take a piss?"

The twins looked at each other in consideration, "We... didn't factor that in."

Lilia scratched her head near the area of her wound and snickered, "We humans can be high maintenance sometimes. I know it's been, well, _ages_ since you've come across one. So, if you see me doin' somethin', it might be one of those base needs. And I'll try to be discreet around camp and keep away from enemy machines. Deal?"

"... Deal."

"It might also help, if I was treated like another android in camp," she suggested to the twins. "Since the Commander lady wants me to be kept secret. And um, once I get somethin' to eat I need to bathe cos, well, I prolly stink, and I need clothes. I can't go around camp naked."

"I'll go speak to the storage warden, he may know." Popola offered as she raised from her seat and went to go do so.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the two. Lilia swallowed a lump in her throat.

"So... how long have you two been in service?"

The android looked at her with cool green eyes, "Seven thousand seven hundred and forty-seven years."

"That's... a long time." _A fuck ton of a long time._  "I guess you guys were built to last. It's kinda amazing, ya know?"

"Yes. Amazing." She replied flatly. "We are one of the oldest models still in existence. And were directly created by you… humans."

Lilia smiled, "That's cool. Ya know, in my time we were just beginnin' to develop advanced robotic and animatronics. It's kinda neat to see we got the walkin' mechanisms down. The ones I remember readin' about were the size of fridges." She chuckled softly, "The ones who had _personalities_ , believe it or not, were the sex dolls."

Devola gave her a perplexed look, "Why is that funny?"

"Oh, um, never mind." Feeling an all-to-familiar heat to her cheeks. Guess they wouldn't understand the humor to that joke.

The awkward silence returned to the duo. Lilia twiddled her thumbs and hummed as she waited for Popola to return. The minutes longer than it would have otherwise taken.

"Do you still have my old set of clothes?" Breaking the silence between them.

"Why do you need them? They are torn beyond use." Devola asked with perplexity.

Lamely retorting, "I still need my bra and underwear."

Pink brows frowned but produced her old clothes for her to inspect, Lilia quickly finding the articles of clothing she needed. Her work clothes were useless by their torn, disheveled state Lilia had little choice but to toss them listlessly at the side of the bed.

Soon the door opened to reveal the twin with an array of clothing and shoes.

"I hope these fit."

Lilia smiled, "Well, let’s see. Could you help me?"

They helped her stand up from the side of bed. She blushed at her nakedness, but quickly put on her undergarments and the resistance fighter clothes, which comprised the standard issue pants, top and boots. They stretched around her butt area, but it was to be expected since she was blessed with a large rear. The oversized top was a white tee and had stains of use from a previous owner. The pants were a beige color with green and blue designs on the sides and scuffed stains on the knees. The boots themselves were a darker brown with various scruff marks, which came up to her knees and required to be laced up. She thanked her two nurses. Feeling a pressure on her bladder as she did so.

"Now, if you two don't mind. I'm going to, um, go look outside."

"We'll come with you."

Cringing in horror, she quickly stammered, "No! Um, no, that's not required. Remember what I said about some things only a human might need to do? Well, I need to... take care of somethin'... in private. Just guide me to the camp entrance and I'll be fine. Promise."

The twins gave her a curious expression but didn't ask what she was talking about.

Her legs were unsteady from a sore spot on her right ankle, but Devola was there to offer support so she could find her balance. Popola opened the door for her and the sun shone brightly down on the camp as the rays permeated into the room. It stung her eyes, but they soon adjusted. The camp was filled with fighters in similar garb as she. If she didn't know better, they'd probably would have been mistaken for humans. They were dirty and had straggly clothes—much like the ones she currently wore as they worked on their tasks. The camp itself was nestled between buildings in what would have been a prime area for a gazebo or terrace. Large tent cloths dangled from the buildings themselves, providing shade and cover to the occupants.

A pressure continued within her bladder, distracting her from the surveillance of the encampment.

"This way." Said Devola pointing to her left.

Leading her through the crumbled entrance was underneath a building to the outside. The area looked somewhat familiar with the soft flowing brook. In the distance, she could see a broken overpass. Perhaps the same one she had seen before? A machine or two would walk around lethargically at the brook’s base. The source of the brook was apparent by the fall of water to her right.

_Speaking of falling water._

"You two wait here. I won't go far. If I need help, I'll holler for you." She told them.

She felt the eyes of the twins on her back as she formed a brisk pace to a group of thick bushes on the opposite side of the camp entrance between two abandoned buildings, which was partly concealed by a rusted car. Looking around to make certain none of those moose was nearby, and once she assumed she would have moderate privacy, she unhooked her breeches, and did her business. It was mildly ludicrous to her taking a piss while listening to the birds in the distance and the breeze on her face cheeks. And cheeks of a different sort.

_I guess people back in the stone ages had to make due with similar situations. Wouldn't surprise me if someone had fallen prey to a saber-toothed cat while taking a dump._

Wishing she hadn't thought of that, she peeked around with paranoia. What a great way to meet her demise. Gone through a time traveling rift; come face-to-face with a destructive bus-sized machine; nearly died from a cliff fall; only to be a snack to a ravenous predator while peeing on a fucking bush.

Really hating the phrase "gotcha with yer pants down!"

Once her bladder was relieved with minimal difficulty, she wiped her cunt off with one of the smooth bush leaves. Then pulled up her pants.

Well, when you don't have toilet paper you make due.

On her way back to the twins, she spotted 2B and 9S. Having returned from the retrieval mission. Smiling she would have her purse back.

_I'm gonna get me something to eat, fix my hair and take a bath._  All three notions putting her spirits in rights. But, she didn't see her purse with them. _Did they? Oh, no don't tell me!_

"Hi, guys. Um, is everything alright?" She asked with apprehension.

"We were unable to locate your... purse. We went to the room Pascal had given you, but it was missing."

"What? I could have _sworn_ I left it there." Dismayed at the notion she would have nothing to eat, no hairbrush, and all her tech from her time was lost. That tech was more important though. Her iPad had all her photographs and videos of her family and friends on. She wanted to show it to them, someday. Knowing they would all be curious. Her stomach rolled hard and twisted. The two silver-haired androids looked at her with concern.

"What... was that noise?" Asked 9S apprehensively.

A hot blush formed across Lilia's cheeks as she explained to the teen-looking android, "My stomach. It makes that noise when it's empty and needs food."

"And a lack of food for you is... bad?"

"Yes, unless you want me to starve to death in a matter of days."

"Oh."

Her stomach rolled again.

She spotted fish in the brook. Smiling at an idea.

"Do any of you know how to fish?"

"Fish?"

"Yeah, you see those animals?" She pointed to the swimming vertebrate, "If I catch one, I can cook and eat it."

"This pod is outfitted with a catching apparatus." The gadget next to 9S said in its female drone voice, "Proposal: Use Pod One-Five-Three to catch a fish."

"So, you can catch one of the fish?" She asked the gadget.

"Affirmative. Permission from 9S is requested."

"Yeah, go ahead." He said while shrugging.

The floating gadget, having permission, launched itself into the water. Floating along the surface like a lily pad. Counting the long minutes until it propelled itself out of the water with a fish in its pincer-like hands. Wiggling violently from being captured from its watery home.

The fish wasn't excessively big. Maybe about as long as her forearm from snout to tail. With the protrusions on its rounded snout and the absence of scales, it was defiantly a species of catfish. A common fish caught and consumed where she was from. It was a yellow-brown color with saturated green with a white-ish belly and a dark brown, square-shaped tail.

" _Ameiurus brunneus._ " Said the floating gadget, "Commonly referred to as a snail bullhead catfish."

"Well, that answers my suspicion. Does anyone know now to kill and gut one?" Lilia asked.

Four sets of eyes looked at her expectantly.

Groaning loudly. "Well ain't this gonna be a learnin' experience!" Waving her arms in dismay. "So, who's gotta sharp knife?"

In 2B's arsenal of weapons, she materialized a dagger was about as long as her forearm and hand, the handle being a simple block of smoothed and polished wood. An uneasy nervousness trembled in her hands. Finding smooth piece of fallen concrete, she took the catfish from the floating pod's grasping pincers, its body smooth, cool and slippery. Its ribs contracted—the sudden realization she would kill it. Swallowing the lump in her throat as she set it on the concrete slab belly side down.

Was she even going to do this right?

_Just… cut the head and gut it._  She recited to herself in her head.

Placing the sharp knife down where she wanted to take her first slice on top of its spine, she had a moment of hesitation. Eating catfish that was frozen at the supermarket was a way different experience than doing the deed yourself. She wasn't ignorant in the process of life and death and where meat came from. However, having it in her face gave her an odd sense of being. That this little catfish was just minding its own business on the muddy bottom of the brook, and now its life will be snuffed out, so _she_ could continue living. Hadn't she thought of the same thing moments ago? That a predator who wanted to continue living to snuff out her own life?

"What's wrong?" Those two words from 9S startled her from her reverie.

Suddenly realizing that the four androids were watching her with a great amount of interest.

Swallowing the cold knot in her throat again, "Nothin'." She replied.

Taking a deep breath before she pressed and sliced the blade across the catfish's spine. The cut too hard for her slice, she turned it on its side. Keeping the slicing motion as she did so. Using her other hand, she pressed down on the blunt side of the knife, hearing the crunch of the spine, and holding it firmly until the blade came all the way through. Blood had gotten on her hands and leaked onto the rock, giving the tacked surface a shine. Its flat head completely detached from the rest of the body, morbid curiosity caused her to look down where she had made the cut. Seeing the guts and smelling the tang of blood made her feel slightly nauseous.

_No turning back now._

Turning the body to the side, she made a shallow cut across its belly, going back over the incision over not going deep enough. Being _extremely_ cautious to not pierce the guts, the last thing she wanted was to have fish poo on her hands. Placing the blade down, she opened the incision up with her fingers. Looking at the purple-gray, flesh-colored organs covered in veins and blood.

Swallowing, she put her right hand inside and scooped out the warm organs. Careful to not break or tear the organs themselves. Tossing them where the decapitated head was satisfied that her first gutting of a catfish was, hopefully, marginally successful. Even when she had the feeling she didn't do it correctly, at least the deed was done. Taking the body to the brook to clean and rinse her hands, the eyes of her four compatriots continually watching her.

_It's not like they would understand._

Holding the fish's mangled corpse, she asked them, "Anyone know how to build a fire?"

Lilia eventually got her catfish cooked. Having to build and experiment several times before she got a small fire going on a slab of asphalt; the last thing she wanted was to set the ruined city on fire trying to build one. It took using the assistance of one of the floating gadgets, or "Pods" to get the spark going for it, after failing miserably at striking two rocks together. Using a tazer like apparatus it ignited the dry grass and leaves as an ignition.

By the time she stuck her gutted catfish on the small fire, she was in a rotten mood. Her stomach hated her from being empty and she was hot and sweaty; her body—not being at one hundred percent—ached all over, the worst being her throbbing right ankle, and she suffered from a horrendous headache. All she wanted to do was eat, take a bath, and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you for everyone leaving kudos and following the story! Lilia and Adam will start having regular interactions starting next chapter.
> 
> Here's some art I did for the fic! The first is Lilia's portrait (before she got time traveled) and the second is Lilia and Adam together.
> 
>   
> 


	3. Confrontation

Ten days had passed since being healed. Lilia settled into a routine with the Resistance members. Having experience with technology and computer systems, she assisted in the server operations and helping the maintenance of the androids in camp. Her excuse she "studied human technology" seemed to work. The twins kept a close eye on her. At first, she tolerated their constant presence, but after a week, it became oppressive. Not only that, they would _park_ themselves outside her door when she slept. She knew they did that the few times she would wake up needing to take a piss.

_I know I'm not a prisoner, but damn give me a break!_  She thought angrily.  _I'm not some child! I told them to treat me like the other androids!_ _This is damn creepy!_

Yet she thought no one in camp suspected she was human despite her "odd quirks" they would passively comment on and times where she would leave camp. The twin's behavior, however, didn't go unnoticed or 2B's and 9S's when they were in camp. Anemone took her aside to ask her about it. Not wanting to reveal too much, she feigned to not have noticed and assured the Resistance leader it was nothing, despite overhearing a fighter bring to Anemone's attention of a "strange burned pit" that had rotting entrails and heads of fish scattered about the area—clearly not from an animal.

_It won't be long before I'm discovered and questioned by Anemone_ , she thought later that night in her stifling room.

Troubling thoughts kept her awake that night. When she had woken for the third time, Lilia turned on the makeshift oil lamp by her bed, its soft glow illuminating the sparse room. Instead of lying in bed until the sun rose, she got up and grabbed one of the 6-foot-long metal poles that was stored in a corner of the room.

Lilia stood at the center of the room in nothing but her stained tee and panties and started her forms. She learned it as a nerdy child begging her father to go down to a dojo. An alternative to the after-school program, her father was skeptical about it, but with her mother's convincing, he had relented. It provided a happy diversion to what was happening at home; being too young to fully understand her mother's illness. However, she stopped attending her study as a troubled teen and returned to it as an adult. Using it helped her maintain fitness and calm her scattering brain, much how it helped her as a confused child.

Her makeshift staff banged into the bed and storage shelf as reached the fifth form. Lilia growled in resentment, hating every second she was stuck in the room.

_I gotta get outta here,_  Lilia thought determined. _I'm about to explode in this room!_

She ruled out using the door; she'd risk alerting the twins. Instead, she decided on jumping out the window. It was spacious enough for her to pass through; it'd be a squeeze for her ass though. Standing on top of the table below it, she inspected the dusty window. The screen had rotted away long ago, leaving just the unbroken glass and frame. Pushing the stiff mechanism fully open, Lilia grunted from her effort. The cool night air was refreshing from the stagnant room. Peeking out, she couldn't see the bottom even with the full moonlight.

Using her metal staff as a gauge to see how far she would have to jump the other end scraped along the grass and dirt. Maybe six or seven feet from the window she hypothesized.

With her mind made up, she dropped the metal cudgel, it fell with a soft thump in the tranquil air. Then, with haste she put on her pants and boots before proceeding with her escape.

_Now comes the hard part._  She thought wearily but determined.

Thankfully, she had experience jumping out of windows, with experience she was capable of crossing the threshold. Her booted feet crunched the leaves and grass and her heart hammered in her skull. Taking a heady exhale, she found her staff and trudged down the alley to where the babbling brook sat. The moon glowed brilliantly, its bright reflection on the water giving a silvery sheen to the blue-gray of the night's shadows. The moon was receding in its downward path; in an hour the sun would start its rise.

The lights from fireflies and lethargic machines bobbed adding an eerie atmosphere to the scenery. Cicadas and crickets joined the chorus of the brook's gentle waves. Unfortunately, other insects buzzed around her head forcing Lilia to swat them away.

Walking around the edge of the landscape to not disturb the machines, her feet crunched on the underbrush of leaves, grass, and snapping twigs. Careful to not trip on a hole or log, she used her makeshift metal cudgel as a guide to feel around before she stepped in an area; with just enough light from the moon and the approaching daylight to make out shapes, Lilia still needed to be careful.

Her goal was to find an appropriate space to practice. She settled on one of the many intersecting and decaying roads as a wide enough space for her to practice her forms. It was silent; the animals sleeping, and the only noises were around the brook itself. The whir of machines distant enough to her ears.

Taking a place in the middle of the decrepit street, she took a relaxing breath and began the first form. _Staff in right hand and render salute._ She ran through the forms in her head as she performed them.

_Second form: flick with right foot, horse stance, staff across chest, look to the left, left hand out._

_Third form: stand on left foot, right foot on left knee, withdraw left hand, extend right hand._

And so she moved leading her mind and body through all thirty forms of the yin-hand cudgel, going through the motions repeatedly. Soon it was just her and the staff as the world around her faded away.

—xxx—

During her forms she missed a pair of reddish eyes scrutinizing her movements, taking in the details of her stances.

_What is she doing?_  Adam wondered as she moved, the android's purse swinging at his side.

He'd decided it was time to return the bag to its owner after sifting through the contents the last week with his brother. With the amount of human items it contained he reasoned the android was collecting them and may have more knowledge about them.

With cat-like steps, he approached her. The swings of the pole creating a whirlwind around her; he found it exquisite and enthralling. The more she repeated these postures, the more precise they were. He thought it familiar until he remembered. _One of the martial arts the humans practiced_. He concluded.  _What else of the humans did this android know?_  Curiosity and excitement bubbling in his chest.

Unafraid, he continued his advance toward the female android. Her curly hair swayed from a long braid. He didn't think she had any awareness of his presence.

At a certain distance, she took a step differently and the pole in her hand nearly met him in the bridge of his nose. The swift movement took him aback.

"Who are you?" she demanded, pole still in his face. Her breathing accelerated and hardened hazel-green eyes pierced into his.

_Why do you need to breathe little android?_

Coolly he stated, "I'm one of the YoRHa androids. I'm passing through on a mission. Now, who are _you_?"

He saw her hazel-green eyes shift before returning the pole to her side. "I'm one of the Resistance fighters. Should have known you were one of them fancy androids. Though, you don't have one of those Pods they walk around with."

He internally chuckled. _So many identities you have. First a YoRHa diplomatic model and now a_ _R_ _esistance fighter? Well, you look more the part, anyway._

Adam, never one to lose his composure, responded, "I'm one of the older model of YoRHa androids before the Pods became standard."

The android's eye receptors looked him up and down. Her feet shifted and a discoloration reached to her facial cheeks. _Is there something wrong?_  It was then that she noticed the bag across his shoulder.

"Hey," she said, "where did you find that?"

Formulating a lie, "I was on a mission near that pacifist machine village and spotted it a few days ago in the woods. Why?"

Seeing her smile in the gray-blue light, "I had a bag just like that one and that's where I lost it. Um, when you opened it, did it have a makeup kit, a hairbrush, some granola bars, a wallet, a shoe, and two rectangular devices in it?"

Recording the items she listed, "There was a makeup kit, hairbrush, and shoe, but do not know what those other contents are. Perhaps the other things I didn't recognize? There were many things within it."

"Please, can I have it back?" She asked in a pleading tone.

"On one condition," he replied smiling, seeing an opportunity, "you tell me about the other items I didn't recognize. They looked like human things from the Old World."

He noticed her throat contracted, her eyes shifted, and the loose grip on her metal pole tightened slightly. She smiled a second later before replying, "Deal."

Adam handed over her bag and watched her sling it over her left shoulder. She walked to a crumbled vehicle and sat on the hood; he followed behind her and sat next to her, his weight dipping the hood. Her hazel-green eyes gave him a peculiar look but said nothing.

His maroon eyes took in her details. The wiry curls of her dark hair pulled in a tight braid revealing her oval hazel-green eyes hidden behind long lashes, a medium sized nose, and full lips that crooked on the right side. A faint yellowed discoloring on her left temple wasn't missed or the flecks of dirt on her forehead and cheeks—a sparkle of moisture dotted her hair line. He then noticed her hands as she held the bag open and rummaged through the purse. He could see dirt and debris underneath her long, crooked nails.

Compared to how she was when he first saw her, the android was disheveled from the work they did and in dire need of better clothes. She smelled like oil, earth, and strong musk.

_Although I will admit… there is a certain…_ charm _about you._

Pulling out of his visual evaluation, she began to speak, "I'm glad you've brought this to me. I honestly didn't think I'd get this back after I lost it. I've been… collecting things from the Old World, including this bag."

_Have you now? Interesting…_

She continued, while pulling out one item, "This is called a granola bar—"

One by one she brought out the items and explained each. Letting her talk and only asking a question sparingly. His sensors recording, not wanting to waste such an opportunity.

_And it seems I was correct on that thick card that had the similar face as hers._

"I was real surprised to find it, actually." She said as she placed it back in the bag. "I know I was modeled after a human, but I never thought on my excursions I'd find her wallet she must have had.

"Now this thing," she said waving the larger rectangular device, "is called a 'tablet' specifically an 'iPad'. Humans used these like those interfaces and connect to one another like a server they called 'the internet'. I was able to figure out a way to restore and charge it, but I can't figure out the… password to look to see what's inside it. I'm curious to know who owned it. This tablet is my favorite of all my finds, I haven't come across anyone who has one."

Once she was finished, she put the… iPad back within the purse. Having a strange look of… sadness? Why would holding such a thing make an android sad? Smiling softly as she rummaged more within the oversized bag.

"Here." She said while holding that red, palm-sized 'flashlight' for him. "Take it. For findin' my purse for me. My thanks."

_Truly? You're giving me one of your treasures?_

His network contemplated the best recourse until she decided for him. Taking his gauntlet right hand in hers and placing the flashlight within it. Feeling her warm and soft hands through the leather and metal glove as they closed his fingers to hold the device placed on the palm. A tightness could be felt in his chest area. Did something within him break?

"I insist Mr. Android, I have another one. Besides, you never know, _you_ might need a light someday. And—" sighing deeply, "I need to be gettin' back. My _caretakers_ are prolly searchin' for me." Her eyes rolled in clear disdain as she pushed herself off the vehicle. "By the way, I never asked for your name. I'm Lilia." Grabbing the pole, she had used earlier in her right hand off the ground. "And yes, it's fittin' considerin' who I'm modeled after."

He grinned. "I'm called… Adam."

"Adam, huh? Well, it was nice to meet you and good luck on your mission. Don't be a stranger, OK?" Lilia smiled and waved as she walked back to the Resistance camp, fetching her own flashlight from her purse.

Silently watching her leave, the conical shape of the light in her hand gave off a green-ish glow to his night sensors.

—xxx—

It took some finagling, but she could climb back up the window the way she had left, careful to not damage what as in her purse. As soon as her feet hit the floor, the light from the oil lamp blazed revealing the twins wearing a stern expression.

_What. The. Fuck. Do. I. Look. Like?_

"Ahem." She grunted out in frustration, feeling her anger rise.

"Where were you?" Devola asked reminiscent to that of a parent about to scold a rebellious teenager; a tone she was all _too_ familiar with and in no mood to hear it as a grown ass woman.

"A stroll. What of it?"

Popola shook her head with a look of disappointment on her features. "You didn't think to inform us?"

"Excuse me?" She spat out. "I don't need _permission_  to go outside when I damn well please. I'm not some sheltered _child_."

"You're too important to go out unattended." Devola retorted.

She growled, her frustration reaching a boiling point with these two, "Well, let me put it too you _very_  plain. To both of you. Your _attempts_ of protectin' me hasn't gone unnoticed within the camp. For fucks sake Anemone pulled me aside while you two were busy to question me about it, and I had to play dumb. I know I'm 'important' as a member of an endangered species. What you two fail to realize is that I can take care of myself and know when I need to stay away from danger. So, do me a favor, and cut the shit out!"

The twins had a pensive look on their faces and they were about to retort, but Lilia, in her flash of pure anger and frustration, beat them.

"It'll prolly won't matter anyway if you two do or not. I overheard them talkin' to Anemone about a 'strange burned pit' and deposits of dead fish guts around the area. So, if we want to maintain this little game of pretend, I have to move somewhere else. And to keep being blunt, I suggest I travel with 2B and 9S."

"No" was the simultaneous answer from them.

"Hold your horses you pink-haired twits, I know that it's not ideal. However, I would be protected. Both are well equipped and programmed to fight the machines. Not only that, they are both aware of my real identity, so there is no 'risk' of me being exposed to shit. I have thought hard on this since Anemone talked to me two days ago and I overheard a fighter report on my cook areas.

"I plan on doin' this once I see 2B and 9S again and tell them, whether you two agree or not. And if _they_ don't like it, I'll speak to their Commander myself. Unlike you androids, I am not bound by your orders or programs to behave a certain way."

It was a cruel thing to say to them since she knew they meant well and more than likely couldn't help themselves. In her ignorance of the android's advanced technology and programs, was that they felt guilt. Especially for these two. As irrational as it may seem, they were in the basest sense, bound by their inherent program of guilt. Along with the long-ago loyalty and need to offer protection to humans—their creators.

Popola held onto her sister's hand to keep her from verbally retaliating as she replied, "We will... think on it. For now, you should rest, it'll be daylight soon."

Once the twins had crossed the threshold and closed the door, she was alone. Well, as alone as she could be. Taking off her boots and pants to settle herself on her bed, she had brought her purse with her. Quickly fishing out her iPad, Lilia typed the password, and looked through the photos; she sifted through the memories of happy smiles, meals in diners, and holidays.

A video played next. It was of a little boy no older than nine that was recorded three years ago. His woolly curls styled, wearing a retro-style _Transformers_ tee with Optimus Prime on it, and his mother's gray eyes beaming at her.

Lilia's hands tightened on the iPad's sides.

_"OK little dude, were gonna practice for the spellin' competition, right?"_

_"Right!" He said enthusiastically while giving the camera a 'thumbs up' "And I'm gonna win too Auntie! And be in the N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-S!"_

_"You bet! Ready?"_

_"Yeah! I'm R-E-A-D-Y!"_

Lilia felt a wetness to her cheeks and her vision blurred.

_She laughed and started, "OK, spell 'enthusiasm'."_

_Without missing a beat, "E-N-T-H-U-S-I-A-S-M!"_

_"Good job!"_

_At the corner of the camera they fist-bumped._

Her chest contracted and suddenly found it hard to breathe.

_"Spell, 'providence'."_

_"P-R-O-V-I-D-E-N-C-E!"_

_"Alright!"_

Unable to contain the sob she relented. An auditory clash between an over-eager little boy spelling and her sobs of a promise broken, the harsh, cruel reality finally crashing in on her. Lilia's futile attempts to maintain her composure the last week, violently splintered like broken glass angrily being smashed against the ground.

She will never know if she made a difference in that boy's life. A vow she made of guilt and loyalty toward his mother. Living with the fact she died trying to save Lilia's own life when she wasn't worth saving at all. Worse still, she didn't know if _his_ sacrifice was in vain.

Lilia's failure and absence just as evident as he looked into his gray eyes. His mother's eyes.

_Mi'lanah… my Mi-Mi… my friend, my only sister I ever knew… forgive me…_

—xxx—

Adam returned to the copied city underneath the dilapidated one above. It contained the exact architecture from his studies. From the arched windows, rough brick, faux trees and potted plants, sidewalks and the street. Except for its appearance all of it was white, lifeless, and sterile. The only color was him and the deactivated android bodies littering the ground or elegantly posed like a child would a doll.

It was a spiritual place for him, a holy place he desired to mimic. He tried to visualize the color that would be for the brick; the shine of the windows, the healthy green of the little trees and plants, and the individual activities the humans would do in the street and within the buildings themselves. What of the weather? Rain? Snow? Perhaps a warm summer day?

His leather shoes resounded in the hollow emptiness. He gripped the flashlight within his gloved hand that the android Lilia gave to him, feeling the cloth strap rub on the outside of his palm.

_"You never know,_ you _might need a light someday."_

Her words reverberating in his head, holding the little treasure of humanity within his hand. His brother soon materialized in strings of golden light.

"You're back." He said with a detected hint of relief. "You did not tell me you had gone, brother."

"I apologize Eve. I thought I'd return that pack to its proper owner." He explained. "You wouldn't believe it! Seems as though Lilia is studying the humans. She is very knowledgeable of them."

His younger twin raised his brows. "Whose Lilia? That android?"

"Yes, brother. Can you believe it? She even allowed me to have one of those human treasures. See." Showing him the red, palm sized device, "It's called a 'flashlight'. And look—" Pressing the back button to make a click noise, a bright light shined at the other end. Adam's stoic face only hid the pleased exhilaration underneath.

"It's rather useless to us Adam." Dismissing such a wonderful little thing.

Growing frustrated at his twin's _lack_ of interest in studying humans, he was of a simpler design than himself and had impulses that lacked restraint. Luckily Adam was there to help him.

"Don't you see? They obviously built such devices for the dark. Their eyes not suited for that time of day, unlike ours. Those old androids use light devices similarly. I observed her using another one she had collected. It would be beneficial to keep in contact with her. She may find new discoveries and to know what she has learned at present."

His twin growled, "Really? What's the _point_ in learning about humans?"

"Brother please," he began, regaining lost patience with his sibling, "this is of utmost importance. When the humans come—"

"You mean 'if' brother."

Adam sighed, "As long as you are with me when they do."

His brother smiled, "Sure."

"All is well then."

He then weaved his system into the server, connecting to the carbon and silicon blocks that formed the copied city. Creating a shape within his mind. Small, repeating, interlocking forming a chain.

"What are you doing Adam?"

"Making… " He started answering, while having the strap on the flashlight go through an end of the carbon chain. It's lightweight shape dropping to the center. Connecting the ends, he placed it around his neck. The cool metal below the center of his naked chest. "… a reminder."

What Adam failed to notice in his moment of adoration, was the minuscule twitch of his twin's face and hands.

—xxx—

_I look like hell._  She noted as she viewed at her disheveled reflection.

She had spent the last hour crying. Releasing that emotional barrier that wound itself tightly in her heart. Lilia didn't know if she should be grateful that the burden on her shoulders had dwindled or hate the reality of her apparent time travel. Maybe both.

As much as she preferred to just sit in bed and feel sorry for herself, she couldn't do that. There was work to be done. She never wanted to go down that path of being useless again in her life. At least this way, some good can come out of her being here. Perhaps help those remaining humans on the moon get back here on Earth a little faster. Who knows? Maybe some of her family and friends far distant descendants were up there too.

It would have to do for the moment.

Stretching out her aches and trying her best to make herself look presentable, she wanted to give the androids no cause for concern with her blood-shot eyes and puffy face. Lilia gave herself some extra time for her face to look normal.

During that time her mind wandered.

_I have to apologize to the twins._  She thought regretfully, _I didn't mean to put it that way to their faces. In a way, I can understand where they are coming from. I feel the same protective urges for my little nephew. And compared to them, I'm the age of a child even though I'm 30._ Then she chuckled, _It wouldn't be good if the first human that the androids have had any interaction with acts like an ass._

Taking a deep breath, she fortified herself and walked out the door of her room. The sun was rising to light the world. The light gave off a light purple-gray sheen to the natural colors of the encampment. The androids busy with their tasks, the grunts, talking and screeching whirs of machinery as evidence. Heading to the right sat the medical/repair tents. Only three androids were resting on the many rows of cots. They had gotten banged up from a recon mission the day before and had paid for it by being hardheaded and careless—not with their lives thankfully.

Lilia swiftly scanned the tent and located the pink-haired twins. They were busy arranging the supplies at the back of the pavilion itself.

They turned to see who walked toward them. Despite their delicate green eyes being neutral, Devola's tone was not, "We hope we aren't intruding on you." Not missing the movement of Popola touching her sister's hand with her own.

Lilia slumped her shoulders and head while sighing, taking the verbal slap, "I deserve that don't I?"

When they didn't respond she continued, "Look, I'm sorry for what I said this mornin'. It wasn't how I intended to talk to you both about it. I was angry, and I didn't mean to take it out on you two. I'm sorry."

They continued to stare at her blankly and she felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny. She gulped the lump in her throat, shifted her feet, and a faint flush could be felt on her cheeks.

"We've thought on it too," Popola said secretly to not let the three patients hear, breaking the awkward silence, "we… don't object to your… proposal. Though speaking to 2B and 9S is required, and if they don't consent, we recommend staying with Pascal."

"I could do that." Not hesitating in accepting the olive branch the twins offered. "I'll speak to Anemone too, best she knows."

"Desertion is punishable in war." Devola said simply. "Though it doesn't _really_ apply in your case."

"Yeah, but it's the only cover while I'm here. I don't wanna wake up with a knife in my gut or a noose on my neck."

She'd seen the price of desertion not two days of working with the camp. Some poor sod who was found guilty got the end of Anemone's blade in front of the whole regiment. It was a cowardly kind of desertion too, not only did he steal from the highly regulated supplies, but he had abandoned his post. Because of that, enemy machines killed two of his fellow soldiers. Their tags finding solemn company with the others that have fallen.

What happened to those two soldiers brought back painful memories of what she had to do not four years ago. The news he wouldn't be returning home. The only thing left was his picture, tags and his last name. It was months prior to being here that she had the strength to put away the ring he gave her before being deployed. She'd never forget that Christmas. In her thoughts she sent a silent hope he'd be proud.

At present, Lilia heard only good things about the Resistance leader, a seasoned veteran of The Pearl Harbor Descent Operation. From some old-timers, desertion had gone down tremendously, and conditions have improved since Anemone took charge. But, with how long the androids have been at war with the machines, it's no wonder deserters happen. The fantasy of living away from the war and enemy machines was enough for some to leave their post she'd been told. She'd lament on it but understood that was what being a soldier was about—the 'fighting for those you care for' part. Even though she wasn't one herself.

For the whole day she was distracted by her concerns as she worked. Planning what to say to 2B, 9S and Anemone—especially Anemone. Knowing the routine well enough for her mind to speculate and thankful that she was technologically inclined.

From the complaints of the Resistance androids, the YoRHa models had the better and more advanced tech. What was left was the scraps that still functioned from the Old World. Lilia found it rather strange that they never considered improving for better use. She chalked it up to maybe how they were constructed.

It was still far more advanced than what she was used to dealing with, but it was familiar enough to where it didn't hinder her. Didn't hurt to ask about something she wasn't acquainted with though. The tech androids in their gruff but kind way would explain it to her. This would doubtless be the thing she would miss most about the Resistance camp. The more Lilia communicated with them, the more their behavior would astound her. Honestly she often felt like she was back at home shooting the shit with her co-workers.

Even though it was damn close to talking with another human being, it was better than nothing; better than the creeping sense of isolation.

It wouldn't be until three days later that 2B and 9S entered the camp. She overheard them talking to Anemone from the neighboring tent she was in. Lilia stopped on her project and put down her tools to approach them once they were finished speaking to the Resistance leader. They handed over a large crate of what looked like filters to Anemone.

_Oh yeah, that right._  She remembered. _The tech guys mentioned getting a supply of fuel filters from Pascal's village. Some androids in camp needed theirs replaced._

Lilia watched the verbal exchange from her work tent and gave a small wave to 2B when she turned her head toward her. The quiet android gave a curt nod. The action didn't go unnoticed from the astute commander they were talking to. Anemone turned her head toward her and waved her over. Lilia hesitated a moment before walking to the three.

"Lilia, we have the fuel filters we ordered from Pascal, I need you to take them to the storage warden Junkster."

She nodded and replied, "Right away Anemone."

"Good, I'll leave you to it." She replied before turning her attention to the YoRHa androids. "2B, 9S you can both go with her, the high-viscosity oil is stored back there. Be sure to give it to Pascal."

She gave them a warm smile and a brief hug once the Anemone left to attend to other duties. "Hey, guys good to see you."

"Likewise." 2B said simply.

9S—on the other hand—smiled widely. "You too Lilia."

"Well, lets get these filters to storage warden Junkster." She said before clearing her throat in sudden nervousness, "Look, um, we need to talk. In private after we're done with these filters. Outside preferably."

They both nodded. If they were curious as to the conversation they were about to have, they didn't show. Though having the equivalent of a blindfold across half their faces didn't help in that department. She suspected they were eager to talk to her by how fast and eager they carried the two hundred pound crate with filters to the back and settled on the high-viscosity oil with storage warden Junkster. He agreed to leave the five hundred gallon barrel near the camp entrance so they can take it once they depart for the village.

Once that business was closed, next came the hard part. The three of them snuck out and walked a ways until they were a reasonable distance from the bustling camp.

"So, what's up Lilia? You looked serious back there." 9S asked with concern.

She bounced on her heels, still racked with nerves despite having gone over and over with what she wanted to say.

"It is serious… kind of. Depends. Um, you know my fires I used to cook right? Well, they haven't been gone unnoticed in the camp and they've been commentin' on my 'strange behavior' for an android. I've discussed this with the twins, and we've decided that I need to be moved elsewhere. I came up with traveling with you two—"

"No." The serious android responded, "The Commander made a point—"

"I know 2B, just listen OK?" She interrupted with a heavy sigh. "I know I'll be in danger and all, but at least that way I won't be discovered by another android or machine. I would be willin' to hang back durin' the fightin' bits or hide somewhere, seein' as you two can handle yourselves in a fight and, well, I can't."

"The Commander won't approve." 2B responded doubtfully.

"I know. But, just in case, I have an alternative. I can stay in Pascal's village. You've had more interactions with them than me and they don't seem the type to be nosey. Also, I wouldn't have to worry about enemy machines like I would at the Resistance camp or be sent on the front lines or something. I don't know what you two or the twins said to Anemone to make her not question me. Like hello? New android in the camp who's actin' kinda funny and seems to be gettin' preferential treatment from the twins? It's only a matter of time before she digs too deep and I won't be 'Top Secret' anymore. She's already cornered me about the twin's protective behavior.

"If you could patch me to the Commander, I'd appreciate it. I have other questions as well I need to ask."

A moment stilled between the three of them before a screen materialized from 2B's pod.

"This is operator 6O, go ahead 2B."

"6O patch me to the Commander."

"On it!"

The screen blanked for a few seconds before another face came up.

"This is the Commander, what is it 2B?"

"We are reporting that there has been… a complication."

"What complication?" Her tone not in a very friendly manner at the mention of that word.

"Our… _other mission_  is at risk of being compromised. She wishes to speak to you directly."

There was a brief silence before the Commander responded, "Very well."

The silver pod floated to her, revealing the face of the YoRHa commander. She had a stern, calm facade washed out by the orange-yellow color of the screen. Her eyes forward and that could see through bullshit miles away. Though, Lilia nearly lost her composure when she saw the style of hair the fearless Commander was sporting. It looked like a hack job a child would do to a _Barbie_ doll with scissors.

Despite that, her nerves trembled in her stomach again, and what she wanted to say vanished from her mind.

Before she could muster her courage, the Commander spoke first, "You weren't at all what I expected." She said in a less authoritative manner than she did with 2B.

It was enough to break through her nervousness for her to find her voice, "I'm glad to keep you on your toes."

The Commander nodded before asking, "What complication did 2B speak of?"

From there, she explained that the Resistance camp was beginning to catch on to her identity and her subsequent proposals.

"I see. I had hoped that you would continue to stay there indefinitely."

Her mind thrown off at that last remark, "Indefinitely? Shouldn't you be workin' on a way for me to be transported to the moon with the other humans?"

"That… is not possible. Resources are tied to the war effort, and what it would take to transport you is greater than what we have available. The Council of Humanity knows of your presence. Eventually you will be transported. For now, I suggest you get comfortable."

She could feel her nails dig into her palms and falling into a dark pit of dread in her chest. Even though she said it in the gentlest, if blunt, way all Lilia heard was, _'Sorry, your ass is staying on a war-torn planet until further notice. Haha! Lol.'_

"All right." She forced out of pursed lips.

A nagging voice at the back of her mind poked at her. Something with how the Commander spoke. Even though Lilia had no reason to not believe her words, the assumption she was leaving things unsaid sunk like a wood splinter hiding under skin. Wouldn't this 'Council of Humanity' work overtime to ensure another human made it to the moon? Not only that, one that can squat out children?

_Something stinks about this._  Deciding to let it lie, perhaps there was an internal conflict on the moon and the Commander was keeping her out of it?

"I'm sorry you can't be with your brethren sooner. When I know of the day they schedule for your pick up, I'll personally let you know. As for your two proposals, it would sync better if you were at Pascal's village. The furthest from harm you are the better. I apologize for not considering this dilemma sooner."

Lilia shook her head, "Don't be. I guess even you guys make mistakes. What do you suggest we do about Anemone? I don't want to be hunted as a deserter."

"Nor do I." The android Commander agreed, "The simplest solution, and one that will cause fewer problems, would be to let Anemone know your identity. She can handle her own with your disappearance from camp."

"Ha! Don't even bother." A booming female voice rang outside of the four.

Both 2B and 9S raised their weapons in defense.

"Put those weapons down, it's me." The source revealing herself out of the decrepit ruins. "Why do you YoRHa androids always underestimate us?" The Resistance leader stated in a peeved tone. "We didn't survive the last six-thousand years of the alien invasion for nothing."

The android Commander 'humphed' over hearing Anemone's words.

"I _knew_ something was particular about you." She said in a softer tone to Lilia, almost in admiration, "A human? After all these millennia. I had almost forgotten about their quirks and needs. Explains the twin's behavior."

"Then no explanation is needed." The Commander cut in. "I'll leave the details of her absence up to you Anemone. Commander out." In a flash, the orange tinted screen vanished.

Said leader chuckled, "Commander White, she was always so _stiff_. Anyway, go ahead and pack, you can leave whenever you wish. I'm presuming that 2B and 9S will be your escorts to the village?"

Lilia nodded, "I'm guessin' so."

"Very well. By the way you two," she said to the two androids, "once you finish escorting our _soldier_ , I have a mission ready on your return. And don't forget about that high-viscosity oil." Not giving them the opportunity to accept or decline she walked back the path to the camp. "Oh, before I forget. Lilia, if you ever want to visit, or need anything, don't hesitate. The tech guys are gonna miss you."

"Um…" she started to respond.

The astute leader stopped and turned around, "Yes?"

Slumping her shoulders and a blush forming across her face, "I… kinda do… but it seems silly to ask. If you don't have any, it's alright. Um, you wouldn't have… things that helped keep humans clean do you? Like shampoo or soap?"

The resourceful woman blinked at her.

"Well… I guess it didn't hurt to ask."

It didn't take her long to pack her sparse belongings or word to reach the tech guys of her departure. Giving her a warm goodbye and wishing her luck on her mission. 2B and 9S waited at the entrance of the encampment. 9S's pod emitted a ring around the high-viscosity oil barrel to carry it to the machine village.

9S looked at her queerly. "What's with the pole?"

"Oh, it's for self-defense," she explained. "Even though I'm no good in a fight, there is nothin' like givin' something' a good _whack_. So, are we goin'?"

"Wait." A voice from behind held them at bay.

It was the twins.

"Before you go," Devola began, "we have something for you."

Popola handed her a small, metal pot the size and shape of a 12-ounce cereal bowl with an extended handle, a pointed spout for pouring, and a metal lid; a small pocket knife; a leather belt with two sheaths, one looked big enough for the dagger 2B let her have and for the pocket knife; and a metal water canteen that looked brand new with a braided leather strap. As she took the items, she could tell the canteen was full of water from the the sloshing of the liquid.

"You'll need these. We've been cleaning and supplying your water for you. So, we thought to give you the tools you need since you won't be here any longer." Popola explained.

"If you head northwest of Pascal's village, there is a stream a mile away that, according to the scouts and recon, has been free from hostile machines. Use the pot to boil your water for a minute. If you fill both canteens, you'll have enough water for two days."

She smiled contently. These two were always looking out for her even when it grated her nerves. She put the pot in her purse and strapped on the knife belt and canteen around her waist. The dagger 2B gave her fit in the larger sheath.

"Thank you." Gratefulness flooded her appreciation as she gave them both a hug. They stiffened at the contact but returned it.

The stroll to Pascal's village was a quiet one in terms of fighting machines. With talking, however, 9S persisted in his questioning. 2B explaining that scanner models are inclined to be that way.

"And hey, sorry for being so suspicious of you." 9S said apologetically. "We, um, encountered something _odd_  a month prior to meeting you involving the hostile machines."

Lilia had to think _way_ back to their first conversation to reference what he was taking about, "Oh yeah, I remember you bein' just as vague when we first met. Can you two tell me or is it Top Secret?"

"The latter. Commander's orders." 2B replied.

" _Fine_. As long as it won't get me hurt or killed later."

"We've been given no suspicion that what happened during that mission would compromise you."

"That's one way to put it 2B." Her partner retorted. "And we haven't encountered _that thing_  or one like it since then."

"A fluke?" She speculated.

"Hopefully," replied 9S, "though there's a chance. One of those goliath-class Searchers hasn't come looking for you like before?"

"So that's what those things are called? Searchers? And what's a 'goliath-class'? But, no, it's been quiet in that department. Well, as quiet as it can be at a military camp."

"Oh, sorry, um, 'goliath-class' are large machines that are more advanced than the small ones you've seen around here. Some are about as big as that tree over there," pointing to a tree about fifteen feet tall, "while others are as big as those human buildings if bigger. Those take several YoRHa androids to take down. And they are equipped with more advanced weapons and defenses than standard units." 9S explained.

"Well… guess I know which ones to avoid like the plague then. The one that found me was enough for my tastes. Speakin' of which, you guys been about to find out why it was after me? I was only hear a few hours when it stomped its way through the forest."

"Unfortunately, no." Replied 2B.

"When I tried remote hacking it, all I could discern was the order to capture you along with your face." 9S informed her. "No clues as to where or why the order was sent. Not even where to drop you off once you were captured."

Lilia shrugged. "Maybe whoever sent that Searcher is the same one who gave me a piggy-back ride to this time?"

"Well, it makes the most sense. Why bring you here if not to capture you?"

"Speculation is useless until more intel comes in 9S." 2B interjected.

"It doesn't hurt to put the thought out there 2B."

Once they entered the village, the mob of child-bots rushed to her exclaiming, "Ms. Lilia is back!" and "Whoo-hoo!" Pascal coming just a moment later. Expressing relief at her recovery. She gave her thanks for the machine who brought her to the Resistance camp. Revealing that none of the machines in the village brought her. They only found 2B and 9S and she was already at the camp by the time they were brought there which confused the hell out of her.

_How the world did I end up at the Resistance camp?_

Her memory was fuzzy and scarcely remembered anything after the explosion of the goliath-class Searcher. Save the impression of being carried and something or someone else that she couldn't place.

_Well, if I ever meet this mystery person, I need to thank them._

She resumed her role in the village as the diplomat from YoRHa. The two androids explained that they were unaware that the Commander at the Bunker had sent her while their comms were down, and that she was a new model constructed for the task. Pascal took their word for it.

"I'm glad you're alright. The children have been worried about you. I hope you can tell them one of those stories. The one you told has been all they've been talking about since things have returned to normal here."

She chuckled, "Don't worry, I have plenty."

"They'll be glad to hear it. By the way, the room I gave you is still empty. Go ahead and settle in."

"Thank you, Pascal. I hope to be of some use while I'm here. If you have any software or programs that need looking over, I'll be happy to look."

"Thank you for the offer."

"Can you play with us now?" One of the impatient children asked.

Lilia smiled, "Tell you what children, let me say goodbye to 2B and 9S, put up my things, and then I'll tell you another story. How about the tale of the _Little Red Riding Hood_?"

That put the child-bots in a fiery mood.


	4. Intersect

The next day, in the afternoon sun, the sky suddenly turned dark. The ground thumped and shook. It wasn't an earthquake or a large thunderstorm. Pascal and some other machines ran toward the blockade that led to the ruined city drawn by dark smoke-like clouds. Moments later, Lilia saw what looked like jet streams heading toward the source of the smoke. Distant, thundering sounds could be heard along with deft explosions.

For the better part of the afternoon these sounds reverberated throughout the forest, but the village remained quiet; the machines too on edge to speak.

In the back of her mind, she knew heavy fighting must be happening in the city. Something enormous and dangerous. If she had waited a day, she'd being the middle of whatever was going on. Putting on a brave face for the little child-bots since Pascal had left, Lilia sent a hushed prayer.

_It still hurts... the waiting game while others fight. Even after all this time..._

"Have I ever told you children the story of the _Odyssey_?"

It was a long enough narrative to keep their wires from thinking of what was going on outside, even though she condensed it and added her own flair to the classic. Especially when her memory failed her.

In the midst of the tale, the ground shook from an explosion. The children clustered together and whimpered frightened from the turbulence. She couldn't say she wasn't concerned. She was terrified too, for the androids she knew as friends and the harmless machines in the village. Lilia could do little more than pray for minimal casualties while keeping the minds of the child-bots off of the danger that lay beyond the forest.

Clearing her throat, she pressed on with the story; the metal children huddled closer to her.

Toward the conclusion, she noticed Pascal and the other machines who had left for the blockade, returned. The child-bots were so enthralled in her story, Lilia took the time to finish before declaring the machines had returned. Once the child-bots were reassured that Uncle Pascal and the other machines were unharmed, Lilia asked them what happened outside the child-bot's hearing.

According to them, two Engel goliaths rampaged through the city ruins. Most of the YoRHa units were there—including 2B and 9S. Pascal and the machines that departed with him were keeping the berserk machines outside the blockade. Once the Engel's were defeated, they exploded, creating a massive crater in the middle of the ruins themselves. When they met up with 2B and 9S, according to them the alien signal that hadn't been heard in centuries, resurfaced. Pascal and the other machines were unable to hear the signal because of them being disconnected from the network. The two androids received orders from their Commander to investigate the signal source.

"And that's all I know. I hope they're OK." Worry rounded the edges of Pascal's voice.

"Me too. Did you notice any Resistance fighters?"

"I'm afraid not. They would have fled from the Engels. They don't have the capabilities to fight goliaths of that size."

"Just how big are those things?" She asked with morbid curiosity.

Pascal explained flatly, "Engels are the size of several of those human city buildings."

_Well dayum!_

"And Lilia?" His voice pulled her out of her stunned reverie. "Thank you, for the children."

She smiled. "It was the least I could do."

—xxx—

After that day, she had to travel to the stream the twins told her of. Only one of her canteens had water left. Lilia gave a necessary excuse to Pascal that morning before venturing into the woods. He in turn reminded her to not venture too far northward past the river or else be subject to the hostile machines in the forest kingdom. Lilia promised and left the village with a hungry stomach and over eager child-bots that had to be told to stay.

More concerned with reaching the river, Lilia didn't pay much attention to the expansive woodlands. She heard the stream before she saw it. The heavy aroma of fresh water hung in the air helped guide her like a beacon.

Small boulders—the expanse of her torso or whole body—dotted around the perimeter, polished smooth by the water and some had thin patches of green moss. Small, deciduous trees and ferns mixed with the scattering boulders sat at the forest edge. Her boots crunched on the palm-sized stones, twigs, and fuzzy moss on the stream's bank, and young trees provided shade from the warm sun. At one section of the bank, she discovered a flat, rock surface which was perfect to use as a ledge to get in and out of the water. The water itself was clear and faded to a delicate shade of green toward the bed of the pebbly floor. She spotted fish swimming happily in the water, scouring for food. Using her metal pole, she tested the water depth. It didn't make it up to her hand. Maybe five feet? Close to six?

Far out into the distant trees going northeast of her location, she could _just_ make out the outline of a stone structure that look reminiscent of a castle. Remembering that Pascal mentioned disconnected machines that lived in a forest region north of them, she recalled Pascal's warning they _weren't_ the friendly type. However, she doubted Pascal _or_ the twins would send her to an area where she would otherwise be harmed by crazy, murderous machines.

_It can't hurt to keep my eyes and ears open just in case. Don't venture too far north he warned._

Lilia had spent a week going to the same spot, and evidence of her constant presence made itself known. From the burned mark of the fire pit, holes where she'd bury the fish remains, and the footpath from the river to the village.

She'd gotten better at starting a fire. Hours of practicing and experimenting when she was at the Resistance camp using a narrow piece of steel the size of her palm and a rock and using whatever she could as a starter, from dry grass to small scrap pieces of cloth. Getting used to the weight of her oversized purse being full of all the items she required. Anything unnessisary stayed in her room at the village.

Considering the spot appropriate for bathing and fishing after several experiments at the Resistance camp, she had made a makeshift cane pole. Using that knowledge, she created a metal one from the pole from the Resistance camp. She had threaded one end that would fit the female threaded cap that had a small, looped hole at the end thanking the arms-smith at the village for threading the metal for her. With that, she could attach a short nylon line, along with an improvised hook as big as her thumb. She paid the arms-smith in return by fixing his son's voice program.

The improvised cane pole wasn't pretty, but she didn't complain when it led to her getting a full stomach. When she was finished, it was easy to detach from the pole and put the threaded top, string and hook in her purse.

Over the course of the week, she stopped fretting about Pascal or the other machine villagers suspecting that she was human. They rarely left the village, and they didn't interrogate her taking 'strolls' through the woods. Pascal even commented that it was understandable considering the slow life of the village. More food sources could be found in the woods themselves, like an expansive blueberry field and pecan trees.

_Damn! I'm so glad the twins told me about this stream_ , she thought with gratitude as she settled into the water.

She hadn't taken a proper bath (a full-body soaked one) since she first arrived in this time period. Feeling the fresh water splash at her naked skin was so good. All she was missing was her soaps, but even without, it was still refreshing. If she ever found soap or hair cleaner in this world, it'd make her day.

She'd cleaned her clothes before diving in, and they hung on a low tree branch in direct sunlight. With the heat of the day, they'd dry within an hour.

Swimming a few laps around the bank, Lilia he knew her hair would be oily, but that's what a brush was for and braiding it was simple enough. She ran her fingers through her curly hair when she was submerged; going all the way to the root to pull out any gunk she could.

Taking a moment to relax, but still keeping an ear out, Lilia only heard the buzzing of the cicadas, the trickle of the water and birds chirping. Occasionally a doe or fawn strolled on the other side of the stream.

Siting on top of the rocky bank, Lilia look out at the serene landscape. Content she had something to eat, packed berries for later, and had cleaned up, she let the balmy air dry her off. She hummed a little tune with the cicadas as the backup instrumentals.

So engrossed in her thoughts, Lilia didn't pay attention to the presence behind her until a twig cracked. Quickly turning her head to the sound, she screamed in surprise and plunged into the water as a shield.

"The hell are you doin'?!" She exclaimed over the bank she had been sitting on. A deep red blush spread from her face to her shoulders.

Reddish eyes looked at her with mild curiosity. "I saw you and wondered what you were doing."

" _Ack!_ Adam! It's… it's not polite to sneak up on someone! Especially when they are tryin' to take a bath!" She retorted.

"Is that what you were doing?"

"Yes!"

"Oh. Isn't that unnecessary? As long as we maintain routine maintenance?"

"I—Well, yes. But it's still nice! But, could you just... turn around? It's not polite to stare either!"

"Why would it be impolite to stare? Is this a human thing?"

"Um, yes. Yes, it is Adam." _He doesn't know, keep up the charade._ "It was also considered impolite and _extremely_ rude to for a man to do it to a woman. Now just... just turn around!"

He cocked his head and crinkled his brow in concern. "Are you all right? Your facial area is an alarming red."

_Oh my_ god _if he doesn't!_ "Yes I'm all right! Now, do as I ask, _please_!"

Without saying another word, he turned on his heel, his eyes out into the wood. Adam crossed his arms and cocked his hip in obvious annoyance.

"And _no_ peeking!" Lilia remembered to add.

"Why would I peek?" He asked without looking over his shoulder.

_Jesus fucking Christ,_ "So you won't get any bright ideas!"

When he made no move, she pulled herself out of the water. Her body and ends of her hair dripped on the flat rock's surface. Patting her feet quickly across the moss-covered stones to where she had placed that blanket. She intended to use it when she had finished her bath anyway while she waited for her clothes to dry. Lilia wrapped it tightly across the top of her chest and made sure she was _completely_ covered. All the while, she kept _both_ eyes on the intrusive android with no sense of modesty. Considering they had no genitalia or things to cover anyway, it wasn't surprising. Hell, she was surprised the androids didn't fight fucking _naked_.

_Small favors_ , she guessed. _It'd be weird to see a bunch of fighting naked Ken or Barbie dolls walking around._

That'd be the last straw in this insanity.

"You can turn around now," she huffed out when she was satisfied at being covered.

Thankful that he hadn't seen her from the front area, it would have been a huge red flag if he'd seen her cunt. At least she didn't have a dick to worry about. _That_ would have been much harder to conceal.

His curious red eyes met her indignant hazel-green.

What a twist this was, he was fully clothed this time. Along with the cloth pants and leather dress shoes he wore last time, he now was sporting a pair of black-rimmed glasses, a white button-up shirt, a tie that was wrapped like a weird bow, and a chain necklace... that had her flashlight dangling from it.

Her throat swallowed at seeing that, mind racing at the implication.

Lilia tried to play it cool. "I see you've found a use for the flashlight I gave you."

A quick quirk of his lips rose before he responded, "Yes. I thought I'd be the best place for me to keep hold of it. It isn't too often I find such a delightful thing. I am honored that you saw fit to give it to me. It isn't uncommon to find human possessions, but to find one in mint condition that works? That is a rarity. It is the reason I have been looking for you."

She crooked her head, mind racing in horrid directions. He knew. She would have to explain herself to him. Even though he works for YoRHa, it would mean a call to the Commander and she wasn't too pleased to have to talk to her again. It wouldn't be the end of the world in retrospect.

"Which is?" She asked, hoping that he didn't detect the shaking in her voice.

"You told me you collect human items and you have knowledge about them. I would like to hear what you know. So little is known about them and finding any item that has to do with humans—whether it be philosophy, math, art, or even their day-to-day lives is treasured. I would like to hear what you have learned."

_Oh, thank fuck he doesn't suspect! I'd hate to explain this situation to her._

He then added, "It made me wonder why you parted with one of those things so easily."

Swallowing the knot in her throat, hastily coming up with an excuse. Something he would understand while preserving appearances. "It... it was common for humans to give gifts. I was sharin' that tradition. Um, I believe it's called a 'thank you' gift. I was... thankin' you for givin' me my purse back. Along with the rest of my things."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ah, givin' gifts was the highest form of 'thanks' that they could give."

He emitted a chuckle with a small grin before saying, "I should be thanking _you_ then."

"Huh?" Confusion evident on her oval face.

"For the gift."

"Oh!" Her hazel-green eyes lighting up. "Oh, yes. I'm glad you like it."

"Very much so. What else can you tell me of humans?" He took a step closer to her.

Steeling herself to not move from her position even though he was less than her arm length away, she held him back with a raised hand.

"Whoa, calm down their big guy." Lilia said before crossing her arms. "Why the huge interest anyway? Aren't you built to think of ways to fight the machines?"

She spotted the shift in his reddish eyes, "We are. However, it doesn't mean we aren't given... programs and data about our creators, albeit basic information. You're the first android I've met that possesses greater knowledge about them. Though, now I think on it, why would the Resistance forces allow you to conduct your inquiries?"

"Because I—" _am a mediocre lying human that's why,_ "I have been given permission to do so. I'm the only one though. Resources and all. It took a lot of convincin' at the Resistance camp."

Adam quirked at brow at that explanation. "What of your 'caretakers'?"

_Caretakers?_ She had to think on that before she recalled their last conversation. "Oh them? Let's say those two are like that with everyone in camp. They're the ones that patch everyone up, and it's part of their programmin' to be concerned with safety and injury avoidance."

"I see. It's to be expected then with repair models." He said with understanding and dismissal. "Anyway, about what you know..."

"Oh, yes. Um, then let us sit down. I brought another sheet with me, we can sit on that while we talk." Lilia offered dispute her nervousness.

Reaching for the other faded blue and white bed-sheet from her belongings and spread it across the shade underneath the same tree that held her drying clothes. Taking the half that was closest to the tree, Lilia allowed Adam to sit just the opposite of her.

Despite him exhibiting a relaxed demeanor, she could tell by his shifting eyes and the quickness of him sitting across from her, that he was eager. It seemed the silliest thing to her. Trying to explain being human while feigning _not_ to be one. She couldn't reveal him too much, the game of pretend must be maintained for appearances. In spite of that, he drank in her words, undeterred and understanding in her ignorance, even if she was acting. His questions were often rushed in his passion and had a never-ending supply of them.

She was uncertain of how long they were chatting, but the sun was just brushing the tops of the trees. Lilia guessed it was mid-afternoon.

By that time, she had to stop him. Her basic _human_ needs were rearing their head, and she had no intention of pissing herself or having her stomach rumble in front of him. Not only that, she had promised Pascal to help repair some machines that afternoon and tell a story to the child-bots.

Adam made a sour face.

"Don't give me that look Adam. I made a promise to the villagers, and I need to keep it. Promises were important to humans. Tell you what, we can continue another day."

"Tomorrow."

She exhaled, "I have projects in the village I need to do tomorrow. I can come the followin' day. Same time?"

He immediately nodded. Learning more gave him elation he hadn't felt before. Lilia thought it rather enduring in a way. It was awkward at first, but as they continued to talk, it became less so. Surprised at how _easy_ it was to talk to him.

As she was readying to sit up, she hadn't counted on her legs falling asleep from sitting so long. Her legs almost gave out. A firm, cool hand holding onto her right arm to keep her from tumbling, Adam spoke with a semblance of concern.

"Is something wrong?"

She felt a blush creep across her face, clearing her throat she responded, "Oh no. Old legs is all. They'll fix themselves in a moment," she said, fighting the sharp prickles in her legs. Bouncing on her heels to knock off the cold numbness, Lilia allowed Adam to hold her arm as support, placing the hand attached to said arm on his chest area to balance herself. Her other hand wrapping across her breast to hold the blanket knot from coming loose. It didn't help she could feel the firmness of his chest through her fingers and the softness of his button-up shirt.

Once her legs didn't feel like needles and knives were sticking them, she let go of her android supporter. His hand had lost its initial grip but continued to touch her arm, the thumb moving back and forth. Another blush threatened to exhibit itself on her cheeks.

_Play it cool Lilia._ "What?" She asked and glanced at the android in the eye.

He had a perturbed expression as he stared at the area like she had an obscene growth on it.

"You're warm."

_I'm—_

Her heart broke into a race. It was such a _base_ thing about her anatomy that not even the dumbest person alive needed to think about it. In a flash she considered spilling the beans. So what if he knew? He's a YoRHa android, and it wasn't like he was one of the machines or aliens.

How many lies has she formulated so far? How long until she slips up and is caught?

Why was she wrecked with fear?

Wrapping that ball of doubt within her chest and caging it for the time being.

"I dunno why." She answered while shrugging her shoulders. "I'm guessin' it's nothin' though. Everything else is operatin' normally. Guess I've been in the sun too long."

He said nothing as he withdrew the hand from her skin. Unable to discern what he was thinking behind his maroon eyes, she searched for a visual or vocal affirmation he accepted her lie.

"I see." He finally said. "Well then, I will see you later."

Then, he did the coolest thing Lilia had ever seen. A golden light surrounded him, and in a matter of seconds he had disappeared.

_Holy shit! Did he just warp-speed outta here?! Why didn't 2B or 9S do that?!_

Mixed in with her amazement was relief. For a moment she could let go of her facade now she was alone. Letting the breath go she didn't know she held escaped her lungs and she dressed in her dry clothes and headed back toward Pascal's village.

Later that night as she lay awake in her small, pauper room—when it was just her and her thoughts—she realized why she was apprehensive of letting the world know she was human.

She didn't know if the world was lying to her.

That, most of all, terrified her. The type of terror that would make a battle-hardened veteran's blood run cold.

The inky, black voice of doubt whispered in her mind, "Lies. Lies. Lies."

She didn't want to know.

—xxx—

Over the next few weeks Lilia and Adam settled into a routine. During her off days—which were frequent considering the slow and mundane life of the village—she visited the curious android model at the stream. Several hours passed while they talked. Many subjects were discussed. Often these conversations were awkward or downright strange from his point of view.

Lilia found solace in these moments with him. It gave her some comfort in the crazy world she found herself in. Because of that craziness, she liked his calm and steady personality.

Adam's absence didn't go unnoticed. The next several weeks were _unpleasant_ for Eve, who cherished his brother. It grated him to no end the distance that grew. He would sit lifelessly alone. There was no point in doing anything without him.

Without Adam, his life would be meaningless.

He _cursed_ that android.

" _Again_ brother?" Eve sighed with annoyance.

"Yes. You should come."

"I… I don't know." Fear and uncertainty along with his jealousy surfaced. "When will we play? We haven't for _weeks_ it seems."

Adam rolled his eyes at his brother's exaggeration. "It's only been five days Eve. Don't be dramatic."

Eve was taken aback by his rebuttal. "Don't be _dramatic_? We used to play all the time and now you're never around or you're busy building in that city. I want to play. _Now_."

His twin sighed at the capricious nature of his twin, "Eve…"

" _Now_ Adam." Eve pressed.

"I can't."

The irradiated twin spat, "Why?"

"I'm meeting Lilia again in an hour." Adam explained. "Tell you what, tomorrow we can play all day if you like."

"You... you better promise!" Even though he loathed Adam being gone, Eve still wanted to see his beloved brother pleased. Still, it was of some comfort a binding agreement between them to spend time together was better than the loneliness of being by himself.

Adam nodded in affirmation. "Of course. We'll play whatever you like."

Eve _hated_ that android.

"OK as... as long as you promise!"

Adam, his wonderful brother, smiled reassuringly which gave him warm tingles in his chest. For just a moment, it gave him the gentle solace he always wanted and nothing else. Only is brother could give that to him.

When his brother disappeared in a golden light, Eve let out a bone chilling howl.

_Why is she so special?_ He thought with dark bitterness. _What has she done to my brother? That stupid android_ _!_ _She's not even as advanced as us._

_Oh right the_ humans _. Always the_ humans _with him._

He wanted his brother back.

_Please Adam... my brother... I need you. I can't do this by myself._

Like all the times before, he sat alone and lifeless. Adam forgot to give an activity to do in the meantime. Eve cursed himself for making his brother forget.

_No, it's that android._

—xxx—

Eve wasn't the only one pained by the growing distance. It hurt Adam to have their scuffs like that. He'd always humor his twin and support him on his projects, no matter their absurdity and his lack of interest in them. However, it couldn't be said the other way around. Only rarely did Eve indulge. Often he would think if Eve met Lilia and talked to her he would understand why he was interested in humans. And stop being spiteful or dismissive.

When the subject of his brother would come up during their talks, Adam would only discuss the positive qualities. Lilia would nod in understanding in Eve's indifference. Not wanting to push herself into a private affair, while also noticing that there was a strain between the two of them.

Once he appeared at the stream, he let the confrontation with his brother go, excitement bubbling in his chest at the sight of her on the blanket.

He was unsure of the thrill in his stomach area as his eyes trailed across her form. From her dark, wiry hair so carefully woven into a long braid; soft, friendly hazel-green eyes; full, half-smirked lips; the glow from her caramel-colored carbon composite skin; and all the way down her lithe, curvy frame.

Taking his customary spot next to her, he sat cross-legged in contrast to her more splayed one.

—xxx—

"Are you all right?" Lilia's inquiry was a tone short of concern.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You had a serious expression when you first arrived."

"It's... nothing I can't handle. I've thought on our discussions we've had the last few days, and I have come to a conclusion about humanity."

Not wanting to be intrusive of his private life or nosy, she went with his deflection, "What's that Adam?"

"Conflict. It's what drives them. Especially during war. They would love and fight among themselves constantly."

_Love and conflict... sounds all too familiar._

She wanted to repudiate that but tried to see it from his point of view, "Well, they had a lot after them. Nature wanted them dead, tryin' to gain resources like food and water, et cetera. They have little choice."

"So, it's the will to live that fuels that conflict?"

"I think so. I mean, if we had their life-span along with natural drives like findin' a mate, gatherin' food and resources, we'd be fighin' among ourselves all the time too."

"So... it is these natural drives?"

"It's what I think anyway Adam. I mean, how would you feel you had—like what—eighty or so years to live, if less than that, to make heirs to pass along your lineage. Not only that but create a safe environment for your spouse and children; provide enough food to live; and makin' sure nothin' happens to you or your heirs to cause them to die. Coupled with the societies that the humans made up.

"From what I understand," she continued, "humans actually hated conflict. Because conflict means that there is a threat. And threats cause sufferin' and death."

Adam hummed at that word. "Death... you know from my own studies, I've seen that, as much as they would avoid it, they face and create it _constantly_. They've made some of the strangest religions and beliefs all because of the concept of 'death'."

_Religion... The kind I grew up with high-energy chorus that sung their praises to Jesus but the parishioners would gossip just as soon as Sunday service was done and the judgement of the Pastor. My sins were the cause of the suffering and death of those I care for my ass._

Shaking her head from the direction her thoughts were going. "Yeah, they have."

"I wonder... what would it be like to experience it?"

Immediately she shuttered, "I don't think would be a good idea Adam. The thing with death is that once it comes, you won't come back to tell the tale. And... and all the things and experiences you wanted to do... will be left unfinished."

"You sound as though you speak from experience."

She chuckled without mirth, "Not all of us androids are attached to a server that can re-upload to a new body. I've... I've had my experience with losin' friends. And... those I considered family."

"I... see. I'm sorry for bringing it up then."

Shaking her head, "No, it's fine. You didn't know when you asked. If you really wanna know the concept of death, just... imagine your brother you mentioned, he gets disconnected, and he dies, how would you feel?"

His maroon eyes widened in shock, the luminous ring around his pupil flashed. His dark lips opened, and his body turned stiff at the prospect.

"Yeah, it's kinda like that." Melancholy laced in her voice of her own troubles.

"That will never happen!" His angled face twisted into a snarl.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "I didn't mean to upset you. It was just an example, and it was the closest thing I could come up with. Without you goin' out and doin' somethin' stupid." Trying to emphasize it by rubbing his shoulder in a soothing manner. He shuddered but didn't move away. The glowing light within his pupil continued to stare at her.

"We're done for today." He announced as he rose from his spot on the blanket and with a flash of gold light he was gone.

_I'm sorry Adam. I didn't mean to put it that way, but... but you wanted to know... so..._

It was later than she would have allowed for her dialogues with the android, bringing out her flashlight as an aid. Though the sun was setting, the thick canopy the trees made, blocked the sun. It was the ideal time for the deer to run about as they scurried from her. It was kind of spooky, too. The later it became the more of the night creatures came out with the owls hooting, the crickets singing, and the cicadas increased their pitches.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the village, it was completely dark. The shine from the lamp-posts the only way for her know it was in sight. Turning off her flashlight, keeping it in her hand, a few of the machines greeted her upon her return. One stopped her and relayed that the androids, 2B and 9S, were in the village and wished to see her.

Smiling she thanked the machine and promptly found the two androids.

They seemed no worse for wear considering the work they had to endure.

"2B! 9S! It's good to see you! It's been a while. I heard about the goliaths you faced in the city some time ago."

"Heh, nothin' that 2B and I can't handle." 9S stated with confidence as he bumped his chest with a fist.

"I see that." She smiled at his upbeat self. "Were you able to find out anythin' about that alien signal?"

The question seemed to surprise them. It was 2B that posed the question, "How did you know about that?"

"Pascal told me." She admitted. "He overheard the Commander over your comms. How'd it go?"

"We don't have clearance to reveal what was discovered," 2B stated while 9S shifted his feet.

Lilia groaned, "Ya know, as a... um, ya know, I would think I'd be privy to that sort of stuff."

"Sorry Lilia. Orders," 9S said with regret. His attention turning to her hand. "By the way, um, what's that? In your hand?"

2B taking her partners eye-line to her hand.

"Oh? This?" She said while showing her flashlight. "It's a flashlight. It, um, _came with me._ I had another one, but I gave it to an android that found my purse." Explaining while putting said flashlight back into her purse.

At the corner of her eye, she saw the two androids look at each other knowingly. The teen looking android looking nervous in contrast to his even-tempered counterpart.

"What did this other flashlight look like?" 2B asked while focusing her attention back at her.

"It was the same as the one I have but it was a red color. Why do you ask?"

"Curious is all. Just in case we run into that android."

"Oh, well you might, he said he works for YoRHa. So, if you see him, tell him I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

If she didn't know better, she could have sworn she detected a twitch in both of their postures.

"Tell me about him. So, I know who to give the message to."

"Right, um, well he looks like you guys, but he doesn't have the face masks you guys wear, he has reddish eyes, and long hair. He says his name is 'Adam'. I'm guessing he's a twin model cos he has a brother that goes by 'Eve'. Which is the strangest thing in my opinion. Why give a male android model a female name?" She rolled her hazel-green eyes with a chuckle.

"Yes, well. It's just how it was designed." 2B responded flatly.

"So..." interjected 9S, "how long have you two been talking?"

At that point Lilia giggled, "Ya know, you two sound like a group of friends who found out one of them is datin' and is being all nosy. But, I'll humor you."

"You're dating!?" 9S shouted.

A huff came out of her chest as she placed her hands on her hips. " _No_! God, jeez, it was just an example. And who's the oldest of all of us?" She then crossed her arms and raised her brows. "But anyhow, we first met at the Resistance camp when he returned my purse. I gave him that flashlight as a 'thank you' since, um, human things are treasured. I didn't see him again until a few weeks ago where I do, _my strolls_. He was curious and wanted to know what I knew of humans. We've been seein' each other since then. I also learned you guys have _no sense_ of modesty," she said, laughing softly at that last bit.

"Why would he come to you?"

"Because when we first met I told him I collect and study humans." Lilia admitted. "Which, he is greatly interested in."

"He doesn't—" 9S started.

She shook her head. "No _, I've been careful_. I'm pretty sure I would have gotten chewed out by your Commander if that was the case."

"I'm presuming it's just been Adam and not Eve?"

"Yeah, just him. He says his brother isn't as interested in humanity as he is."

"I... see. We'll relay the message to... Adam. Won't we 9S?"

"Ah, yeah. Definately."

She could _smell_ bullshit from them. Letting it go for the time being, she wondered if they might not be on amicable terms with that android model.

—xxx—

"2B why didn't we say anything?!" 9S exclaimed as they walked out of the village that morning, "Dammit she's meeting up with that _psycho_! You heard what he said once he got a hold of the humans!"

The cool-headed android stopped once they were a clear distance from the village. It took a lot for the seasoned warrior to be shaken. Knowing that despite their efforts to keep a human from the enemy's hands, she'd inadvertently fell right in under their noses. Imagining what that machine would do to Lilia if he found out twisted her wiring.

"I know 9S!" Her voice raising above her normal even tone. "But the Commander needs to be informed first. Regulations."

"2B!"

The ring of the comms stopped 9S from further protesting.

"Operator 6O, go ahead 2B."

"6O, patch me through to the Commander."

"Roger!"

The screen switched, and the Commander's stern face greeted them.

"Commander here, go ahead 2B."

"We've run into another _complication_. With our _other_ mission."

The Commander sighed, "Has the machine village found out?"

"No. It's... more serious than that."

Her brows furrowed deeply and her eyes pierced through the screen. "How _serious_?"

Not being able to hold back, 9S interjected, "Does the possibility of a human being experimented on by an enemy machine sound serious enough?!"

Her collected demeanor broke for a second, "What? Explain!"

From there they summarized what Lilia had informed them.

"Are you positive that the enemy machine Adam is unaware of her being a human?"

"With what he declared in the underground alien base, she wouldn't still be here if he had."

Strain could be seen on the Commander's usual stoic face, "I... I have to inform the Council. For now, you're cleared of any missions you needed to do, your _sole mission_ is to keep a close eye on her. _Do not_ let the enemy machine know of your presence. It could compromise her identity. If he threatens her safety, you have permission to engage. _Keep her safe_. Understood?"

"Affirmative."

"While you two are watching, record and gather as much intel as possible on that machine. Although I hate the circumstance, we need to know what we are dealing with."

"Commander—"

"What is it 9S?"

"Do we inform her?"

It took a moment for the stiff Commander to reply, and when she did, no one liked it. "Do what regulations state."

And the call was disconnected.

—xxx—

The next day Lilia arrived at their usual meeting spot. She had suggested an earlier time than usual, due to the fact the days were growing warmer and the humidity becoming stifling during the afternoon. The warming part she left out though.

It was early in the morning, the purple sheen of the rising sun cast a melancholic feel on everything, even to the busy creatures that stirred. The only rhythmic sounds were that of her pole and her booted feet as they disturbed the sparse ferns and a bed of leaves of the forest floor.

As the moments ticked by, she had an uneasy feeling of being watched. Each time a bird would caw and fly off it added to her anxiety. Convincing herself that it was just her imagination, she continued along the same path to the stream. It only mildly helped, holding a firm grasp on her staff and keeping her eyes and ears open.

Once she was at the stream did she release some of her tension.

Adam had yet to arrive, so she made herself comfortable. She spread the same blanket they had used across the same patch of stones next to the same tree.

Taking the same spot she had always taken while looking out at the stream, Lilia sat listening and waiting.

Despite the calm she exuded, her thoughts were racing. She felt like a stupid teenager waiting on her date to pick her up, until Lilia scoffed at the idea.

Moments later, in a twirl of gold light, Adam appeared. Relief washed over her at seeing him.

"Adam, I'm glad you could make it!"

"Of course, why would I not?" His demeanor was cool and calm, having none of the distress from yesterday.

"It's just... after yesterday—"

"Forget it." He said cutting her off. "I know you didn't mean to upset me. And I shouldn't have left. I've thought on what you said, and even though I might not experience 'death' for my brother, the mere notion... frightened me."

Lilia smiled softly, "It's OK to be scared."

Nodding his head he continued, "It made me think of what would become of my brother if that were to happen. That... wouldn't end well. Eve... he needs me more than I need him."

Curiosity biting at her. Why would he say it that way? Perhaps something is wrong with Eve? Not wanting to be intrusive, she let her questions go unanswered.

"At least you have a better understanding now I hope."

"I do." It was then he sat next to her. The tension breaking between them. "How is it that the humans put it? 'Water under the bridge'?"

Chuckling at the phrase, "Sounds about right."

He smiled, "Good." Pausing for a moment, she could tell around his eyes that something else was on his mind even though his face still had the same stoic expression, "And I've also been thinking too..." his voice trailing.

When he didn't finish she asked, "About what?"

Silver brows slightly frowning, lips pressing just that small bit as if struggling to find the words to what he wanted to say, until finally he uttered, "How do you do it?"

Her face upturned in a look of confusion, "Do what?"

The delicate expression he had deepened as he grew frustrated at finding the words to what he wanted to say.

"How do you... live... with knowing if you make a false move, you won't be re-uploaded to another body?"

The question surprised her. It echoed her old self. Of family and friends lost. Of when her own life was nearly snuffed out. Digging and clawing through the years to find a reason to live. To build herself back up from the pit of booze and pills she put herself in as a brat teenager. And the sacrifice that had to be made so she could continue living.

_I miss you so much Mi-Mi... dad... Bradly..._ _and you most of all Markus._

Feeling the old wound grow sore in her chest as it oozed guilt into her soul again. Its eyes were gray.

Breathing heavily before she responded, "You do the best you can."

Adam looked at her then. Taking in her soft smile and melancholy in her warm hazel eyes. A pain could be felt within his metal chest. Letting the feeling wash on him as it knotted and coiled.

"I'm sorry... I have upset _you_ now."

Lilia shook her head, "It's all right. I've accepted it now."

"I see... well the reason I ask is that... I... it crossed my mind about... losing you."

It took a second of her to process what he said just then. A flutter beat rapidly in her chest. Her first reaction was to joke it off. Immediately discarding that idea. Then the better idea about reassuring him.

"You don't have to Adam. I can take care of myself."

He chuckled.

Lilia pursed her lips, "You find that funny?"

"What? No... I... It's just I've... enjoyed our encounters. I have no doubt you can take care of yourself. I guess I was just laughing at myself."

"Oh."

"How long do you plan on staying in that village?"

The question was unexpected, feeling a tightness in her gut, at the lie she had to maintain with him. "Dunno. I've rather enjoyed it there. Even though it's a bit slow sometimes."

"You cannot explore humanity while staying there Lilia."

She shrugged at that statement, "Yeah, I know. One day I'll start my journey again, for now, I am content."

"If you do, I would like to join you, and I'll bring my brother too."

A tremor passed in her body at that idea. She cleared her throat, "You're a YoRHa android Adam. I doubt they would let you go with the war goin' on. And I don't like the idea of you two being hunted as deserters."

"Oh... that's right... _the war_."

"Maybe, when it's over the three of us can see all those places, the humans have built. I'll invite 2B and 9S too."

"Who?"

"Oh, their YoRHa androids like you I've been friends with. All five of us can go together. And... maybe meet the humans when they return from the moon."

"We should... do that."

Without explanation, she saw Adam's face slack in horror.

She looked around to see what was causing the expression but couldn't find it. They were alone.

"Is something wrong Adam?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose he rubbed his face in strain.

"I'm sorry, it's my brother. I have to go." Quickly standing, Adam teleported in a flash of yellow light.


	5. The Maw of Dependency

_Where is he? He promised!_

Eve searched desperately within the confines of the copied city that his twin loved so much.

The copied _human_ city.

_He's with that android, again! He_ forgot _about me! He promised!_

Eve's emotional state screeched across the network, shouting and demanding his brother return at once. The connected machines reacted by going haywire and berserk.

In his rage, Eve connected to the carbon and silicon blocks and demolished the architecture, sending the blocks flying in haphazard directions. The carcasses of dead androids crunched beneath the weight. All Eve could see was _that android's face_ on them.

Cursing the android that was taking his brother from him; Eve was so engrossed in his madness he did not realize Adam had returned.

"Are you _done_?"

The question was adequate enough for Eve to interrupt his demolition, but not diminish his anger.

" _You!_ " Eve snarled, throwing the carbon blocks linked to his arms in the opposite direction. "You promised!"

A millisecond ticked as Eve flashed toward his brother and shoved him. The contact created a deep thud in the dismantled space. Eve's violent movement, practically lifted Adam as the soles of his shoes skidded across the carbon floor. Adam's internal mechanism adjusted halting the momentum.

This wasn't the first time Eve had a tantrum, but it was the first time he had actively destroyed something Adam built and loved working on.

Adam's calm _almost_ snapped.

Seeing the little refuge he's built reduced to bare blocks and observing the state of the deactivated androids, distorted and pulled his programs angered him. He didn't fail to notice that the female androids suffered the most destruction; their faces and torsos smashed in. Adam realized that his failure to keep his commitment was only part of the reason his brother's rage had discharged.

He needed to mitigate his emotional twin.

Grating his teeth before asking again, "Are you _done_ brother?"

Eve riled up at that, " _Done?!_ No, I'm not _done_. You made a promise to _me_ Adam! And you left me for _that android_."

"I'm sorry Eve, I had forgotten about meeting Lilia—"

" _Don't say that android's name!_ " He shouted, the yell echoing in the space. The tattoo that wove around his arm traveled to half his body and his eyes glowed dangerously bright. "You will not see that android anymore! You haven't been yourself since you have!"

Adam pursed his lips, "I'm sorry Eve. It was my mistake. I'll stay the rest of today and tomorrow. After that—"

"You're not leaving again!" Eve shoved him anew.

Adam _snapped._ As swift as Eve was to assault him, Adam was quicker. Grabbing Eve by the throat and pinning him on the floor caused the carbon blocks around him to crumble. The reaction caught Eve by surprise.

Adam had never put his hands on him. No matter how fitful. His eyes flared and the indignation and frustration exhibited in his usual stoic face was not expected. 

"Eve! Today and tomorrow. That's all you get! And you will help me fix this place." He hissed through pursed lips in a heavy frown.

Eve's face upturned in disgust. " _You_ fix it." Eve said, teleporting out of his clutching hand and away from the area.

Adam shouted and punched the section where his obstinate brother's head had rested, cracking and fracturing the floor. "Dammit, Eve!"

—xxx—

That night Lilia lay awake in her room, she heard the machines walk about outside along with the buzzing insects and nocturnal animals calling. The only light came from the dim lanterns that peeked through the cracks of the timber planks and the space between the closed shutters of a single window and door.

Shifting on the bench that served as a makeshift bed, Lilia used a bundled polyester blanket as a pillow, along with scrap cloth coverings as a sheet that separated her body from the wood. She laid in nothing but her underwear, the balmy nights too much for much else. The blanket that would have shrouded her body was bunched at her feet.

She missed the bed she had at the Resistance camp. It was a five-star hotel mattress compared to this. Or, rather the lack of a mattress. The lingering wakefulness caused her mind to wander.

Adam stirred within her thoughts.

_Why had he left? Was something wrong with his brother? For Adam's sake, I hope he's OK too._

Tossing and turning a few times, Lilia grew more frustrated as the night ticked on; sleep eluding her. She knew of something that would assist her quest for some rest.

Her need for sleep overruled her better sense. She needed to keep quiet and not indulging in a long while would help.

Her body tensed and tingled in anticipation.

As hazel-green eyes closed, she migrated her hands to cup and massaged full breasts. Feeling the weight, she tweaked the nipple to hardness. A gasp slipped through her lips as the sensations waltzed up her spine and pretended it was someone else's hands other than her own.

But they were too familiar; she allowed her mind wander in the fantasy. She still missed him.

Firm lips would suck a nipple into their mouth. Lips sealed tightly around the hardened bud before it popped from their mouth. Lilia gasped from the sensation to her womanly flesh. His tongue lapped around the pebbly areola. Lilia's clitoris throbbed between her folds as he took the other nipple and gave it the same tender treatment.

Her hands wondered down her stomach, the touch tickled the nerves. The right hand moved under her panties, past the nestle of pubic hair toward their destination. Lilia rubbed deft circles around the hardened bud; a strangled moan escaped from her throat as the pleasured knot within her tightened.

"Here," he said hoarsely into her ear which made her gasp, "let me do that for you." His voice was smooth and stoic that exuded calm patience. The tickle of long hair fanned around her head.

_That isn't Bradly's voice... and he never had long hair._

Her heart hammered as his hand met hers under her panties. She moved her palm away and allowed his large hand envelope her folds. He explored her mound, slick lips and soft flesh enclosed that became slicker by the second. Her hips rocked from stimulation.

"Hum," he purred in contentment, "you're wet already."

_I... I don't know..._

The man kept up the loving tease of her folds. Finger tips rubbed her aching clitoris and circled around her entrance, and smeared the fluid. The musk that filled the air overpowered the room. Lungs contracted in a hitch and gasp, she moaned at the curious exploration his hands sought.

_I have to let you go..._

His thumb and finger spread her nether lips, which exposed the naked bud from the hood, she nearly cried out when his tongue lapped at the tender flesh.

When had she lost her panties?

"Shh, we don't want to disturb our friends," he said, his breathing ragged on her throbbing clit.

No, she didn't want them to interfere. She found a scrap of cloth and put it into her mouth.

The mystery man continued his ministrations as he licked and rubbed the hard nub into his mouth. Lilia moaned jaggedly through the cloth as the tension in her spine tightened. Their hands intertwined, she needed something to hold as she felt her impending orgasm.

His licks and sucks synchronized with her moans. Perspiration sparkled her forehead. Her throat contracted with her lungs for oxygen. Hips rolled as she begged and pleaded for more.

_Please let me cum._

He sealed his mouth around her, he sucked and lapped hard.

The light behind her eyes splintered free as her back arched and she let out a muffled cry.

—xxx—

Lilia returned to the stream that morning, hoping that Adam would return even though they hadn't agreed to do so.

When it was clear he wasn't, she searched through her purse and nibbled on a few pecans; crushing the shells on the stone bank. She sighed and decided not to let her trip here be a waste; she secured the hook to her pole and fished. Almost giving up as time passed until she finally had a bite. On inspection, it was a baby catfish about seven inches long; she was disappointed at the puny size, but it was better than nothing. Lilia gutted and cleaned the fish before making a fire, watching the smooth skin and the meat turn opaque and crispy in silence.

_Might as well refill my canteens too. Topping them off couldn't hurt._

She fetched her mini-pot and filled it with the stream water before placing it over the low fire, watching it boil as she devoured the flaky catfish meat and spat out the ribs, crunching on the crispy fins and tail, and throwing the delicate spine into the stream.

Dissatisfied over her diminutive catch, she cast her fishing hook back into the water to try for another fish.

At the farthest recesses of her hearing, she heard panting grunts behind her; she turned to the noise.

Her blood ran cold, and she froze. Her heart immediately sped, thumping in her ears.

It was a fucking bear.

The bear walked between the trunks of the trees, its broad head downward, sniffing the ground. Its brown, oily, furred body _thunked_ , breaking twigs and claws clanking on the rock. The beast was grunting as it was searching for food. It was nearly the height of one playhouse at the village.

She needed to move, but her muscles didn't respond.

The bear detected her. Lifting its massive head the creature let out a deafening howl, showing its sharp, yellowing teeth, its dark mouth and pink tongue.

Ribs hitched and contracted, Lilia clutched her staff like a lifeline.

There was no one for a mile or more. No one to help her. She couldn't move.

The bear howled again and reared itself on its back legs.

_PLAY DEAD!!_ her brain screamed through her terror.

Her body collapsed and balled up, her arms wrapping around her head and she tucked her legs to her chest lying on her side.

_Go away...go away...go away...go away..._

_Thump, thump, thump._ The death toll of its feet.

Its grunts grew louder.

She didn't want to see, squeezing her eyes shut. Feeling tears run down her cheek Lilia heard the whimper at the back of her throat. Her body convulsed in fear.

Its dominating presence made itself known. There were no birds in the trees, no fish in the water, and the gentle stream went mute. The beast's shadow enveloped her body, blocking the sun. Its grunts and hot breath seeped into her soul. The stench of decaying flesh and musk pierced her sinuses.

A giant paw—twice the size of her head—scraped along her legs and stomach, effortlessly rolling her over. She emitted a desperate whimper as she turned herself back. The puncture stung when its claws tore through her pant leg; the wounds tearing and staining red. Its icy, wet nose sniffed her, draining her life with each suction of air.

Then it opened its giant maw. Her whole head and enclosed arms were pulled into its mouth. Lilia's hyper awareness registered teeth contacting her delicate skin and the long, pink tongue lapped at her arm and scalp. Thick, viscous saliva dripping on her tender flesh.

_SHIIIING!_

_Kurk!_

The world froze and something warm dripped onto her arms and head.

She barely registered a female grunt before the mass of the bear thudded on the ground; its immense head landing on her body.

She could hear her name being called and the weight of the bear's head being discharged.

"Lilia! Lilia look at me!" Cool hands wrapped around her enclosed arms. "Lilia it's me, 9S!"

He turned her over, she wailed and twisted back. Her brain still stuck within that moment of the bear's mouth enclosed on her head. She had died and was seeing the face of her friends one last time.

Another pair of hands met 9S's. "Lilia, you're safe! The bear is dead."

Her body shook as she sobbed. Her terrified mind replayed the last few moments that could have ended her life. 2B and 9S gave as much comfort and assurances as they could until she calmed; slowly working herself down from her horror-fit of being within that bear's mouth. She could still feel its hot, putrid breath on her skin and penetrating into her sinuses—into her soul. Lilia forced her rebellious muscles to move onto her back and ordered her eyes open.

The blindfolded faces of her android friends greeted her. They helped pull her up and transported her to the tree for support, sitting next to it. The movement caused her to cry in pain from her left thigh as it continued to bleed little rivers of blood.

Her two rescuers fretted about her current condition. Lilia focused on breathing trying to calm herself while still feeling the warm blood seep from the wound.

"The... the blanket..." she pointed toward it. 9S being closer, snatched it. "Tear it into... strips. Need to... stop the bleedin'..."

They both did as she requested, the blanket torn was loud with a distinctive rip. 2B took a strip to wrap around her thigh, repeating the motion with other strips until it covered her wounds. Lilia felt the pulse of the veins underneath her skin; the blood soaking the cloth.

Once more she drew a deep breath to relax herself.

The first concern was to get first aid, and the only first aid she remembered was the kit the twins used on her from her previous injuries. One android would have to fetch it. Lilia's legs were jelly from the adrenaline and the wound on her thigh too terrible at the moment to let her stand. Not only that, she had no idea how deep the bear's claws had sunk into her.

"I need... first aid..." She breathed out. "The twins, ask them for that kit they healed me with." Gradually her voice returning to her.

The two androids looked at each other through their blindfolds, 2B nodding and sprinting into the woodlands, while 9S stayed by her side.

The minutes passed in silence from the two beings. Strangely enough, her senses seemed heightened. She keenly knew of the noises and sounds of the woods, whether it'd be the birds chirping, insects buzzing to the lazy flow of the stream. However, over time she had become accustomed to it and didn't give it much thought. Now it sounded as though she had Superman's hearing with every insect buzz and flap of a bird's wings that resonated in her ears. Hyper-aware of the life the woodlands emitted around her. The noises were sharper than the first time she arrived at the stream's bank. Not only the sounds, but seeing the different shades of green of the foliage and speckles within the boulders that dotted the bank.

Lilia faintly chuckled at the acute sensitivity of her senses. Whether it was from the fact she was alive or blood loss, she couldn't tell.

"Why are you laughing?" 9S asked. Most likely he wore a bewildered expression beneath his blindfold.

"Dunno... I guess I'm just happy to be alive." She shrugged her shoulders in dismissal while smiling.

"You humans are strange creatures."

She laughed again, patting him on the shoulder. "Can't complain though." She hissed as her wounds stung, holding the inflicted area with a clenched hand.

"Are you all right?!"

Lilia hissed again as she breathed "Yeah, just stings like hell." When the sensation died down she inquired, "9S, why were guys out here?"

His twitch didn't go unnoticed. "We were... on a mission. We didn't know who it was we were rescuing until we saw your purse."

Her head swayed to suspend her lingering questions. "Guess it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you guys were here. I would have been a goner for sure. I never heard of a bear bein' that huge before."

"Yeah, since the humans have gone to the moon a lot of the animals have grown massive. With the coast south of us, it doesn't surprise me to see one of this size."

Brows upturned as she chuckled disparagingly, "Just my luck right? I didn't even think about bears."

"We didn't either." 9S bowed his head in shame. "I'm glad we came this way. By the way, um, why were you here anyway?"

Disappointment on her face as she answered, "I wanted to see if Adam would come today. This is our usual spot to meet. And where I fish and bathe. Remember what the twins said when I left the Resistance camp?"

"Oh, right." He gave a nod in remembrance.

"I hope his brother is OK." The whisper held deep trepidation.

"What do you mean?"

"He had to leave suddenly yesterday. Somethin' about his brother. We didn't agree to meet today, but I wanted to see if he would be here. When he didn't, I decided to fish and refill my canteens, so it wouldn't be a wasted trip. And well..." Her voice trailing off, the next set of events didn't need to be explained.

"Right."

"Yeah."

They both glanced at the gargantuan mass of the dead bear. The blood from the pierced skull seeped into the ground, its jaws wide and tongue hanging out.

A deep frown settled on Lilia's lips as bitterness swayed her tongue. "I'm gonna have to find another spot. The carcass is gonna stink and attract every predator and scavenger for miles. I'll be even further from the village if I do. _Damn_." The prospect made her curse at the added burden of her trying to survive.

A notion crossed her mind, and she snickered.

"You're laughing again?"

Still smiling as she scratched the back of her head as she tried to explain her reasoning to the perplexed teen android. "It's just... bringing up the predator and scavenger part made me think of somethin'. And I'm laughin' at where my mind went."

"What was it?" His curiosity was piqued.

A grin plastered on her face as she replied, "Ya know, if I knew how to dry meat, I could butcher the bear and dry it to turn it into jerky. That whole bear would last me _months_ prolly." She extended and waved her left hand in the visual area of the bear carcass.

"And that's funny, why?"

_He doesn't understand_. She realized disparagingly.

"It's just..." Dark brows furrowed in the best way to describe it to him. "I was about to _be_ prey, and here I am thinking the best way to cut up the animal that almost killed me and turning _it_ into food. The cycle of life."

"Oh. We didn't think of it. The dire-bears have bothered no other units."

She laughed again, "Why would they hunt you? Not when I have _this_ attached to me," holding his hand and pressing it against her uninjured leg. Letting him feel the meat and fat on her thigh. She could see him tense up. "What good are you, a bucket of wires and bolts, to something that _eats_ other animals?"

9S yanked his hand away, "I didn't—"

Lilia waved her hand in front of him to rebuke his impending apology. "It's OK... _I_ should have thought of it." Then, bowing her head in self-depreciation. "I lived in a time where I didn't have to think about bein' on the dinner table. It was... my mistake. I'm just glad you two were here. If not, the only thing left would be my mangled corpse and remains in a shit pile somewhere."

He lowered his head and clenched his hands into fists. "I'm sorry..."

Lilia looked at him queerly. "Don't be."

At that moment, 2B arrived with the medical kit, kneeling at her other side and opening it. With their help, they pulled her pants and boots off and unwrapped the torn blanket from her thigh. The site of the lesion was red with dry blood and stung like bee stings once exposed to the open air. Lilia turned to her side so 2B can have a better look at the gnarly injury and apply the ointment. That magical, blessed, future ointment, but first, she used antiseptic to clean the wounded thigh. Lilia tensed and gritted her teeth from the terrible sting.

"Are you—!"

"I'm fine!" She exclaimed through the pain. "It's supposed to do that. Lets you know it's workin'. Keep goin'," she encouraged to her part-time nurse, "don't miss a spot. I don't want an infection."

Ever so stoic 2B, continued applying the antiseptic until the laceration was cleaned. Then, taking out the jar of the ointment, the android applied the opaque pink glob to some swabs, and ran it along the gashes. It didn't hurt like the antiseptic, but it stung in areas where the bear claws went deep. Last, she put on a cotton cloth before wrapping it in linen, keeping anything nasty from getting inside.

"You'd make a pretty good nurse 2B," Lilia said jokingly at her handiwork.

"The twins told me the procedure for your injury. I was following their instructions," she explained blandly. "But, thank you."

Lilia grinned at the androids attempt at gratitude. "Now, help me up so I can put my pants and boots back on."

She held on to 9S while 2B helped her into her pants. Her injured thigh being weakened couldn't support her appropriately, the same for her boots. She'd need a new pair of pants, blood caked the injury site and smelled.

"How am I supposed to explain this injury to the villagers?" She asked concerned.

"When we are injured a similar color oil comes out, we'll just tell them that. And we have put a... gel to the injury that will fix you," 2B suggested.

"If you say so 2B." It was close enough to the truth revealing nothing major.

Lilia took a cautious step to gather her things, the leg cramped from her weight. 9S held her for support once it was clear of her impaired state. "You can't walk. Here, climb on my back. We'll take you to the village." He suggested, before kneeling low enough for her.

She looked at the smaller size of the android and was doubtful.

"C'mon, you're not gonna slow me down." He encouraged the skeptical human. "And 2B is better equipped for fighting than me."

Lilia sighed nervously. "Well... if you say so."

2B helped her around toward the teens back before lowering herself and folding her arms around his neck. He locked his arms on both sides to support her legs before he raised himself without effort and walking to her items leisurely. 2B handed over her purse and pole to her. Lilia strapped the purse over her shoulder and holding the pole in her hand before re-wrapping her arms around 9S's neck, the pole hung diagonally across his torso.

"Ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

It was at that point she never doubted the speed of an android again.

The village was buzzing when news spread of Lilia's injuries. The little child-bots being the most upset, surrounding her and 9S, touching and comforting repeating their concerns. "You all right?" and "It doesn't hurt?" They took the longest to appease of the machines. She explained she was not too injured. 2B made the excuse, and explained they had put on an android gel which will heal her within a day. 9S, had not let Lilia go, and took her up to her room. He climbed up the ladder to it with no impairment. Lilia was hit with a little wound to her pride but kept the mental bruising to herself.

She understood it would have been too difficult for her to climb up by her lonesome. The gaggle of child-bots followed behind them as the trio made their way to her room, still worried that their favorite storyteller was injured. After 9S set her down on her makeshift bed, she regarded the mob of children.

"I'll prove to you guys I'm all right, I'll tell you a story. It's called _Pinocchio_."


	6. Mortality and Noodling

Her sleep that night was a mix of dreamlessness and memories of terror experienced that day. Teeth and claws snapped at her; biting and crunching pale bones. A gelatinous mess of blood, brain and guts would be all that remained of her. Sweat dotted her forehead and her breathing became irregular, trapped in the whirlwind of terror.

In her nightly spasms, she rested on her right side as to not strain her healing thigh on the opposite leg. Her ears faintly aware of mechanical talking as she blearily opened them to see two child-bots looking at her partially nude form. Their unblinking, dull green eyes stared at her wrapped wound.

Yanking her bed sheet to cover her body, Lilia shouted "What are you two doin'!?" Her heart thumped in her ears and her face turned a deep red in dismay.

The two child-bots were taken aback and one of them shockingly stammered, "W-we were just ch-checking on you Ms. Lilia! We heard you mumbling."

Lilia groaned deeply in embarrassment while hearing the rapid patter of approaching footsteps. 2B and 9S joining the group. Her blush deepened in mortification.

The hard invasion of her privacy being violated caused a loss of gentleness with her words. "Get the hell outta here!" Her aggravation caused the two child-bots to jump and run; she slammed the open door in the two android's faces. Lilia mumbled angrily about not having any damn privacy any-damn-where.

She took a breath to calm herself rubbing her face with her hands.

_That was one way to wake up in the morning. Need a lock on that damn door._

She dragged herself up and inspected her thigh. It was still sore, but better than yesterday. Stretching and turning over, she cautiously stood up. A slight pressure was felt, but otherwise she could move around and take steps with a slight limp from the healing muscles.

Her stomach growled like an angry child demanding attention.

Lilia ignored the twisting growl to put on her clothes, with minimal difficulty, especially with her pants. Once finished, she sat back on her bed, and rummaged through her purse, finding the tupperware holding a handful of berries in it. She opened it and gave a sniff. She needed more soon but ate the berries, regardless. Then, drinking a mouthful of her water before she put the items back into her purse, which functioned as her survival pack. The original contents sat under her makeshift bed in a box she traded. Those items from her time were useless here and a burden for her to carry every day. Her hairbrush was the only thing she took out daily. Not wanting to look at herself in the mirror, Lilia was afraid she'd see a stranger.

As she sat up the soreness in her thigh was ignored while grabbing her purse and staff. She left her room, closing the door behind her. The two androids overlooked the village next to her room. They faced her; their stances were less stiff than usual, projecting the impression of feeling awkward. Based on them barging into her room while she was almost naked, she couldn't say she blamed them.

9S cleared his throat and asked, "You off somewhere?"

Lilia nodded. "Yeah, I have some... things to take care of."

"What of your leg?" Concern etched in the teen android's voice.

Dismissive in her sigh before responding, "It's fine 9S. Just need to get the stiffness out is all."

Lilia turned to walk away from them. The ladder down took her slower than it had, but she could reach the bottom without great difficulty. Her fellow machines in the village waved at her, glad to see her moving around. The two androids followed behind her as she walked out of the village. When they did not part ways, and she stopped and questioned them.

"What are you doin'?" Crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Just, um..."

She sighed exasperated. "Look, I'm fine like I said. The ointment has done its job and I can walk all right now. I'm just sore. I..." She looked behind them to make sure they were out of earshot, "have to find me something to eat. I'll be back later, I'm sure you two have things to do for YoRHa."

"Can it wait a day?" 2B asked, "We'd feel better about your condition."

She tightened the grip on her staff, "No it _can't_."

"We understand—"

"The hell you do!" She shouted at 2B. Anger and resentment boiled under her skin. The loneliness and stress she had to endure daily sat always at the front of her mind.

"Look I know y'all are lookin' out for me. But I need to do this myself. I have no choice. If I don't find food, I'll starve to death. If I don't get water, I'll die quicker than not eatin'. I'm not one of you androids that all you need to do is pop a new battery in and you're good. And if I die I don't get uploaded into another body!"

"Lilia—"

"Shut up I'm not finished!" Her shout echoed through the thick trees.

"This hasn't been the easiest thing for me to do. Bein' out here survivin' by myself while hidin' at the village. I'm _constantly_ worried about it. Christ I'm lucky that Pascal hasn't been too suspicious. You have _no idea_ how hard it is! When I grew up all I had to do was go to a store, buy food, and take two steps to a fridge that was always packed. And now—" She huffed in resentment of her predicament. "And _now_ , if I don't find and kill it myself _that day_ , I don't eat.

Lilia continued with a huff. "I need to do this myself. You two have your own shit with YoRHa to do. I can't depend on you for my needs. Same with the villagers but I can't tell them _why_. I'm sorry. I'm real fuckin' _sorry_. But you _don't_ understand."

She angrily turned on her heel and ignored the soreness of her thigh as she stomped away, letting the trees and ferns swallow her. Faintly hearing her named called, she ignored it and resolutely faced forward, taking the path she'd always taken.

Lilia smelled the bear before she saw it. Flies had worked on it, buzzing around the eyes, mouth and rump. Crows cawing at her. The smell of death pungent.

"Stupid fuckin' bear." She cursed its mere existence.

Turning again and heading upstream away from the carcass, Lilia walked until her sore leg couldn't take any more and protested loudly. After finding a calmer part of the stream, she sat down on one boulder, attached the hook end-piece to her pole and cast it into the water. The soft plunk of the hook echoed in her mind as she waited for a bite.

Once her hammering heart had calmed and anger had subsided, Lilia felt wetness run down her cheeks, clutching her metal pole like a lifeline.

_I hate this._

"Stop cryin' Lilia." She told herself, her voice raspy and raw with emotion. "Just... stop cryin'."

_I want to go home._

—xxx—

In a flash of golden light, Adam teleported to the usual place for his meetings with Lilia, only to be greeted with the rotting stink of a dire bear carcass and a pack of dire wolves munching on an easy meal. They growled at him sensing an intruder. One of the pack launched itself at him, materializing a spiked beam, he impaled it, its spine popping out of the gaping wound and a fountain of blood and guts seeping from the belly. After witnessing the death of one of their own, the rest of the pack scurried away.

_Is this why Lilia wasn't here?_

On closer inspection of the partially eaten dire bear carcass, Adam found the means of its death. A sharp object—more than likely from a sword—through the skull and out through the back. Flies had gathered around the wound to lay their eggs, its gray brain, muscles, fat, and thick hide exposed.

Highly doubting that Lilia had killed the beast herself, if was from any blade, it would have been from a YoRHa battle android. Speculation ran rampant in his wired network.

He needed to find Lilia.

He quickly teleported outside the pacifist village and looking down, surveyed the inhabitants. Lilia was gone.

Panic settled in his torso. His mind clouded with it.

Immediately teleporting to the top buildings at the android camp, Adam searched the camp. She wasn't there.

His red eyes glowed and his hands shook. Had she gone exploring the humans again and not told him? No. No that couldn't be right.

Hastily returning to their meeting spot, he fully connected to the server and activated his internal search engines, the gears and wires firing within his network. A whole new layer of his vision and senses overlapped what was already presented, highlighting footprints, smells, echoing sounds.

The pungent, putrid stench of the dire bear dominated the area, along with the woodsy scent of the wolves and carrion birds that had been feasting on it. He could taste the rancidness stuck on his tongue. His auditory sensors heard the surrounding wildlife from the wings of the birds, the crunching of machine and animal walking on the forest floor, to the breaking of leaves from the trees. Hyper data collected on the area and filtering unnecessary points of interest.

_ACTIVATE SEARCH ENGINE_

_DELETE_ Ursus dirus _Decay._

_DELETE_ Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis _Scent._

_DELETE_ Canis dirus novus _Scent._

_DELETE Environment Noise._

_DELETE..._

_DELETE..._

_DELETE..._

_!WARNING!_

_DETECTED: Foot Print. Size 8 US. Weight Approximate 61.23 Kilograms._

_[Target: LILIA] Foot Prints CONFIRMED._

_!WARNING!: Irregular Gate Detected._

_HYPOTHESIS: Unknown Injury To [Target: LILIA]._

_ETC: 83 minutes 39 seconds._

_> HIGHLIGHT [prints]_

_DETECTED: [Target: LILIA] Scent._

_> HIGHLIGHT [Scent]_

_DIRECTION: 343 Degrees North Northwest._

_OBJECTIVES:_

_> Objective 1: Follow [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: None Available_

_> Objective 2: Enable Safety Protocols Of [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: None Available_

_FAILURE PROTOCOLS:_

_> None Available..._

_> None Available..._

_> None Available..._

_OBJECTIVE CONFIRMATION:_

_> Accept._

_UNIT DATA BACKUP REQUIRED:_

_> Accept._

It only took 5.23 seconds for his processors to filter the data. Lilia's scent and prints glowing yellow. Sprinting down the path that was created, his sensors singular in purpose. Approximately 3 minutes into tracking, his systems binged again.

_!WARNING!_

_DETECTING Sound Waves 2.401 Kilometers From Current Location._

_ENABLE Real-Time Playback._

The sound was soft and muffled. Choking and rasping.

"Stop cryin' Lilia. Just... stop cryin'."

_CONFIRMED: Audio Of [Target: LILIA]_

_ETA: 2 minutes 25 seconds_

_> Continue Auditory Observation._

"I hate this... Why me?" A long-drawn sigh preceded words "Stop it Lilia. Just... just catch a fish. One day at a time."

_!WARNING!_

_DETECTING Vocal Stress Patterns And Distress In [Target: LILIA]_

_CAUSE: Unknown_

_HYPOTHESIS: None Available. More Data Required._

_!WARNING!_

_Anomaly Detected Within Machine Model 341102-A. Codename: ADAM._

_Anomaly Causing Stress To Machine Model 341102-A Emotional Stabilizers._

_Anomaly Causing Overheating By 93 Degrees Celsius In Machine Model 341102-A Motor Systems. Exceeding Maximum Velocity By 16 KM/H._

_Failure For Anomaly Containment And Deletion Will Result In System Unit Failure._

_Confirmation Required for Anomaly Containment and Deletion._

_> Reject._

_!WARNING!_

_DETECTING Possible Visual Confirmation._

_DISABLE Auditory Observation._

_ENABLE Long-Range Visual Sensors._

_CONFIRMED Visual Confirmation Of [Target: LILIA]_

_OBJECTIVES:_

_> Objective 1: Follow [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: COMPLETE_

_> Objective 2: Enable Safety Protocols Of [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: IN-PROGRESS_

_ETA: 1 minute 15 seconds_

_!WARNING!_

_System Failure Imminent._

_Cooling Systems Insufficient._

_Artificial Skin Failure._

_EndoskelEton FAilUre I_mInent._

_BIO Sy > em Fail_rE ImM n_nt._

_E#A: 15 s_cO ds_

_$H T_D0^N_

_> R3J c_._

—xxx—

While waiting for a bite of a fish, Lilia heard a strange noise behind her. Before she even turned around, whatever it was _zoomed_ right pass her and landed with a loud _thud_ and slide, hitting the rocks in a metallic crunch. The force gouging a path in the earth from the slide.

Lilia jumped from her spot in fright and holding her pole in defense at the intruder. Adrenaline pumping in her veins. Her eyes quickly registering what ran passed her.

It took a few seconds for her to process it was Adam that ran like a bat out of hell.

"Adam! What the—The hell didja do!" She yelled in horror.

She dropped her pole at his mangled state and running to his side. The first thing she noticed was how fucking _hot_ he was, she didn't want to go near because of how oppressive it was. The synthetic skin was melting off his endoskeleton, revealing his android heritage in spots. Sparks and foul smoke snaked out of the gaping holes and through his facial area. His clothes nearly burned off, had dark patches hung haggardly. His maroon eyes glowed a dangerous pinkish color, twitching when he stared at her.

"obJE-EETive..." His voice cracking and sounding like a digital muddle. "kkkkcOMple-e-e-ete..."

"Adam!"

"S-s-s-systEEEM REEs-s-s-sTart"

"Adam!"

The glow in his eyes turned off, and he stopped moving. The only thing could be heard was the sound of wildlife in the forest and the sparks popping from within his body.

"Adam..." her voice quiet, trying to process what had just happened.

_Is he... dead?_

"Adam..." Her throat constricted again in a bubble of emotion.

It halted when a flash of yellow light swirled around Adam's mangled corpse. A cry uttered from her throat while jumping back and pushing herself backwards on the stony ground. As she watched the light swirl... and an arm materialized from it. Then, the torso shot from it, doubling over and hitting the ground with a soft, fleshy thud. Its other arm reached forward and pulled itself out of the swirling light. The legs followed crouching and moved to stand. Its silver hair was wet and dripped a thick, clear fluid as was the rest of the body.

After finding her legs, she raised herself. The healing thigh cramped minimally from the movement.

_Is this... how they regenerate themselves?_

Quickly realizing that she was looking at a copied body of Adam. A very, _very_ naked copy, though lacking the fun bits.

_They really do look like Ken dolls._

His maroon eyes flashed a hot pink where the pupils were.

"Memory corrupted. Downloading back-up storage." He said in an emotionless monotone.

"Adam?"

When he made no acknowledgement, she stepped closer until she was face-to-face with the android. Curious, she touched his chest with her finger tips. She only had a second to register the slicked skin before his hands grabbed her at the shoulder. It caused her to jump at the contact and cringing at the pressure.

"Identity confirmed as Lilia. Threat level: None."

He then freed the hold on her shoulders before resuming his earlier position.

_Well, at least he recognized me._

"Download of back-up memory complete. Systems running nominally. Necessary adjustments made. System A.I. is clear." With that being said, the glow from his eyes turned off, and the stiffness relaxed. Adam blinked a few times before hugging her in a vice grip while exclaiming, "There you are Lilia! I've been looking for you. What happened at our meeting place?" For knowing him for a while she could tell that worry was etched into his stoic voice.

A blush formed across her cheeks from the action; grimacing at the tightness of the hug and the uncomfortable sensation of the thick, gooey gel he was covered with stuck to her.

"... Our... Oh, I'm sorry. I should have put a note or somethin' there in case you came. Um, you can leggo of me now." Awkwardly he did as Lilia asked him, pulling her clothes away from his sticking skin. Wet spots dotted her clothing, the heaviest around her chest.

"I... apologize. I don't know what came over me."

Slightly smiling, "It's all right, no harm." She exhaled wearily before continuing, "Anyway, I went there yesterday thinkin' that you might come. I was worried that somethin' was wrong when you left the day before. While... I was waiting... that bear..." Swallowing the lump in her throat at the memory of her arms and head being in that beast's mouth. Along with the foul rot of death within as it breathed on her.

Lilia noticed the visible twitch in Adam's frame. "You were... hurt."

"Not too bad considering... 2B and 9S was passin' by and saw what was happenin' and killed the bear. I was... lucky to just get outta there with just some claw marks on my thigh. I'm OK now."

His maroon eyes widened at seeing her ruined pants. The left thigh turned a discolored brown color from the blood that had soaked the cloth, along with the linen that wrapped around the lesions beneath the torn holes from the dire bear's claws.

"May I see these wounds?" She could hear the concern in his voice as he continued to stare where she received her injury.

She swallowed and reassured him, "No, it's fine. They... gave me some gel for the area. It's healed up, but it's sore a little." Her arm raised in dismissal of her injuries and turned her attention to his own. "Anyway... _you_ have some explainin' to do! What the world happened to you?" She exclaimed while pointed at his deactivated, mangled body that was still sparking in areas and smoking.

His expression became distant as he recalled, "I also went to our meeting spot to see if you were there earlier. When I saw the dire bear and dire wolves feasting on its corpse, I was... concerned. I scanned the machine village and android camp, but I found you weren't there. On returning to the dire bear corpse I activated my search engines. After saving my data there, it becomes... blurry."

She nodded in understanding, "Yeah, when you, I guess, were activatin' a minute ago, you said somethin' about your memory being corrupted and you were downloadin' a back-up."

He nodded, "Yes. All I have after that save are fragments of clear data and the rest is a jumbled mess. From what I gather, an anomaly caused it. Which is strange..."

"Why?" Lilia's eyebrows crinkled at that.

"Anomalies which cause that failure are contained and deleted. I... don't remember why I didn't do so. The last process that happened before was an 'audio distress' from you. What was said has been corrupted." He explained.

Lilia shifted her feet, "Well, at least you're all right and nothin' permanent happened."

"To you."

"Yeah, and... for the record... if you want to hug me again... could you by chance get that sticky stuff off of you?"

Adam made a twitch of his lips and said with contentment, "I can do that. Before I do..." Motioning over toward his old, mangled body he removed the necklace that had the flashlight she gave him. She heard him sigh dejected.

"What's wrong?" Lilia asked curiously.

He got up from his crouched position to show her. The usual round shape of the metal had melted it slightly, giving it more of an oval shape and the color had flaked off where it was closest to his synthetic skin. Adam clicked the button, and the light didn't turn on. As he was messing with it, the cloth strap closest to the metal tie came apart, dislodging the flashlight from the whitish chain.

Even though he had his usual stoic facade, she could sense he was upset by his downcast eyes and slump to his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Adam..."

He looked at her with a solemn expression and said, "Don't be. Can this be repaired?"

Clasping her hands and shifting her feet she replied, "No. I'm afraid not. It's too badly damaged, and I know no one who could fix it if it wasn't. I'm sorry. You can have my other one if you want it."

He looked away in thought and clutching the broken flashlight he answered, "No. No, you keep yours. I'll still hold on to this one."

Lilia nodded at his choice.

Then, he did something extraordinary, or rather the whitish chain did. Where the cloth strap was still attached to the chain, said chain pulled apart, releasing the cloth strap. He then took the 'broken' chain and tossed it on top of his old body in disregard, while holding on to the pieces of the flashlight in his left hand.

She shook her head at the strange phenomena.

"I think... I'll go rinse off in the stream now." He commented, walking toward said stream.

"Wait. Your flashlight, here, I'll hold on to it while you do that."

He paused and considered her for a moment, contemplating her offer. Then, nodding once he consented to the idea he raised his hand to give it to her. Which she did and placed it in her right front pocket.

As she watched him go, her eyes wondered downward.

_Well... the androids certainly knew how to make 'em good lookin'._

Reprimanding herself for the direction her thoughts were leading to as she watched him go into the babbling stream. Her mouth watering at the lazy water licking at his skin.

Mentally shaking her head, she kept busy. She fished before Adam had arrived; grabbing her pole she had thrown on the ground when he charged into the bank. He had asked what she was doing, and she answered that she was studying the practice of fishing.

Despite her mind on the fish, her eyes couldn't help but look at another type of catch.

_C'mon Lilia... you're thirty and have seen men naked before._ She told herself to get her thoughts away from probable forbidden territory.

_Yeah... but it's been years since... ya know, and he'd want you to be happy. And Adam, he's... well despite not having the fun bits, isn't bad lookin'. And he's the only male lookin' thing you know of currently._

_What of 9S?_

_Jailbait! And he doesn't treat you like a breeze will break you like 9S, 2B, and the other androids who know you are human do._

Mentally sighing at herself, _Even if... I wanted to, I can't have children with him. Remember the last time I tried to bring a child into the world?_

_I know, but you shouldn't give up._ He _wouldn't want that for you either. You know what artificial insemination is right?_

She mentally shuttered at that, _Ugh, yes, I know what that is._

_And besides, the Commander said to get comfortable for an indefinite stay here on Earth._

_Yeah, I know. But, there's three problems with that. One, I would have to reveal my identity to him. Two, I don't even know if androids are capable of the same emotional connection for a healthy relationship. And three, even if it were just physical, I doubt he'll get off on it the same way I could. And now I think on it, do their programs allow them to even have a relationship with a human? From 2B and 9S, they've never met a human besides me, not even the Commanders. It's all through indirect communications. And... you remember the last time I... I went with the military type._

_Well, even if he knows you're human, would it make a difference? He works for YoRHa. I know your reservations after... after last time. You know the risks, it's nothing new to you. As far as 'emotional connections' and the physical part. Do you believe that? I mean, look at Pascal's village of machines and the androids at the Resistance camp. For Christ's sake they mourn their dead! If they can mourn they can love too. I'm sure that physical intimacy is different, but you don't know unless you ask. With Adam, it's as obvious as his deactivated body not fifteen feet from you. He_ broke _that body to find_ you _._

That internal revelation made her gasp out loud.

Which gained the attention of said android.

"Lilia, are you all right? Nothing within you broke did it? What of your thigh?"

Her body cringed she stammered, "Oh, um, n-no! I was just... thinkin' is all."

"About what?"

She smiled in a sarcasm, "Like how am I supposed to catch a fish with a naked man distractin' them?"

He upturned an eyebrow at her, "You were the one who suggested that I bathe here."

His retort caused her to giggle, "I was just teasin' Adam. I guess... they ain't bitin' today." Increasingly becoming dejected at the prospect of going hungry.

"Is this a human activity?" He asked, his curiosity itching out of his voice.

"Ah yes. It is. Humans would gather fish usin' somethin' like this," putting emphasis on her metal cane pole, "to bait one to bitin' the hook part." She lifted it up to show him the hook out of the water. "I've been... practicin' is all."

Wordlessly he lifted himself out of the water and sat next to her. Lilia's eyes wandered across his wet form, how the clear water glided over every curve and pool at every dip. Feeling a blush form across her cheeks.

"How else did they catch these... fish?" His question cut through her reverie.

"Um, they would use nets but those were for boats and catchin' a lot of them at once." A memory popped into her head, "Which reminds me... I remember readin' about humans usin' dolphins to catch fish."

"How?"

"Well, I guess over time the humans and this pod of dolphins formed a workin' relationship. I can't exactly remember this right—it wasn't a well-known practice—but the humans would create a signal to the dolphins. Which told them to, I guess, herd a school of fish to the shore and the humans would cast their nets to catch them. The humans would be nice enough to let the dolphins eat their share too.

"One of the more, I guess, sillier ones I heard about is a human will go into the water and, barehanded, catch one. It was called ' _noodlin''_."

"'Noodling' huh? Humans are... particular."

She chuckled at that, "You can say that again."

Adam made a noncommittal humming sound before stating, "Perhaps a more direct approach is necessary."

Lilia made a confused look at him before he clarified, "I shall try this 'noodling'." Before she could form a reply, he was back into the water and submerged. His heavy, metallic weight made him sink quickly.

She made a disgruntled sigh but didn't complain. _At least it's worth a shot. He was always willing to imitate activities we'd do._

Since she wasn't getting anywhere with her pole, she pulled it out of the water and detached the hooked end, putting the attachment back into her oversized purse. Patiently waiting on her android friend to return from his underwater hunt. She then hummed a little upbeat tune.

He had gone a ways from her upstream to where she couldn't see him under the glare caused by the sun's reflection. Sometime later she saw his pale form return to her. His eyes forming that reddish glow they had from earlier. The light refracted across the water's surface.

A horrid thought crossed her mind, _how do I explain that I will have to eat it without giving myself away?_

Once he made it to her, he stepped on the underwater boulders and his torso came up. Thus, revealing the monster catfish that must have been as long as her arm. The catfish shook violently in his grasp, but he held firm onto it. Water splashed in the fish's attempt to escape. Some of it sprayed onto her as she cried out both from the droplets and gleeful knowledge she would get her fill.

"Oh my god! That thing's _huge!_ Wonde—!" Adam cut her praises short as he used his powerful legs to launch himself out of the water. Nearly dousing her in the cool liquid of the stream. She cried out as she, as fast as she could, to try to get away from the wall of water. As irritated as that made her, she couldn't stay mad for longer than a second. Not when something more important would occur.

Lilia approached the dripping wet android and flapping huge catfish. His arm "muscles" contracting to hold the river beast in his hands. With knowing how strong he probably is, it was an easy enough task. The catfish stood little chance.

"What do we do next Lilia?" He asked. "I'm sure humans would have consumed this, yes?"

She swallowed, both from nervousness and hunger. "Y-yeah. I have... practiced killing one. Not one that big though. First time for everything, right?"

"Then we will eat this together."

_Eat... together...? He won't...?_

Quickly deciding not to question him, she said, "Yes, I'd like that. I've done some experimentin' and learnin' on how to do so. I'll show you."

"Please."

Clapping her hands of not having to worry about revealing too much and eating. "OK. Hold on to him for me, let me get my tools."

She walked toward her purse she fished out a pair of pliers, her hook attachment, and a piece of two-foot twine. Replacing the nylon string on her hook attachment with the twine. Then, returning to the android's side, she instructed him toward one tree with a low-hanging branch.

"Now," she began, "what I'm gonna do is wrap this end around the tree, and have the hook go into its mouth." Doing that before she continued, the catfish still wiggling as it was hanging. "Then, I have to paralyze it." She then took out the dagger from its pouch around her waist. Her sharp blade pierced the top of the catfish's spine causing it to go limp and motionless. "Now, I can work without havin' to fight it."

Her explanation continued as he drank her words and stoically watched. From cutting the tail off to let the animal bleed out, cutting around the shape of the head, using the pliers to pull the skin off, and pulling the guts out before fileting the meat. All that was left was the spine and head hanging. Adam held onto the meat for her as she worked.

"And, that's it. At least, how I think it's done." She said as she wiped off the blade before putting it back in its pouch.

"Do we eat now?"

"Yeah, but first—"

Adam cut her off as he put one of the smaller pieces of raw fish into his mouth and chewed.

Her hazel eyes bugging out in horror as she exclaimed, " _No!_ Don't do that! I gotta _cook_ it first!"

He looked at her and swallowed. "Oh."

_Not kissin' that mouth anytime soon._

Mentally shaking her head from the bewilderment she felt, "Here, I'll show you how they built a fire. It'll cook the meat."

She went through the motions and routine. It was a small fire that would just be enough to give the heat to cook the fish.

"But, before I light the grass, I need to put this thing down." She said before pulling out four rods and a blackened metal sheet that was a two-by-one foot with wide rectangular holes cut out, and four sets of two holes drilled into each corner. "I asked one villager to make this for me. I made it look similar to a 'grill'. You put the fish or whatever meat you have on top of it, so it'll cook." She then went through that process of piercing the ground with the rods and setting the grill top, the split v-pattern at the last three inches securing the grill on the drilled holes. "Now, time to light it."

With practiced ease she struck her steel piece on her trusty rock. The sparks ignited her collected dry grass. In a matter of minutes, the arrangement of dry wood caught fire. Then, taking the bits of catfish, she arranged them on the grill. The sizzle causing her mouth to water.

"When will it be done?" He asked while sitting on his knees beside her.

"Um, when it turns opaque and flaky. I have to turn it over to cook the other side." Lilia answered.

A small smile formed on his face. "So, this is the cause for that burned patch at the old spot."

She cringed, "Yeah. I've practiced how to do it there."

He upturned a silver brow. "And you didn't think to share that knowledge because...?"

A wolfish smile came on her lips as he placed her knuckles on her hips. "You didn't _ask_."

He snorted at her sarcasm. "Cute."

After a moment of silence, he asked another question, "Is this why you haven't left the village yet?"

"Huh? Whatcha mean by that?"

Even though his face was his usual stoicism, his eyes intently stared at her. "There's something that has been bothering me about you. I... haven't been honest with you."

Her unease grew, doing her best to hide it.

"When we first met, that wasn't the first time I knew of you. I saw you at that machine village and I... overheard you state you were a type of YoRHa diplomat, but when I saw you again, you were a Resistance fighter. I've been... ignoring that glaring error because I've enjoyed our encounters. I would appreciate the truth. You're no YoRHa model."

She could feel her heart race. Heavily sighing, the only sounds made were that of the crackling fire and the steady stream.

"You're right, and I'm sorry... for lyin'." She admitted. "Technically, I... am a resistance fighter."

"Technically?"

Trying to plan a lie, at least a convincing one. "Yeah. You... don't need to know details. But, Anemone and the Commander of YoRHa... Thought to send an undercover android to Pascal's village to keep an eye on them. But... life there is so slow, and they have given no bad intentions. Despite that, I'm to stay there indefinitely as a 'diplomat'. And well... I've been engagin' in my hobby to pass the time."

"Studying humans, you mean?"

She gave him a nod in affirmation. "Yeah, it's been... a learnin' experience."

A snort escaped from Adam as he crossed his arms. "You're not much of a Resistance fighter to be sent on a cushy job to look after disconnected machines."

Giving a brief laugh at the tease. "No, you're right on that!"

His remark lightened up the mood, letting her know it satisfied him with the lie she told. She then inspected the catfish meat, she determined it was time to flip them. She rummaged out the scraper in her purse, she used it—along with her left hand as a guide—to turn the pieces. The cooked side revealed a nice light-brown color from the heat along with the white opaqueness of the meat. Lilia smirked at the progress.

"Good. It's almost ready."

A long pause happened after she said that. The duo had a more companionable silence than an awkward one. To fill the silence, Lilia hummed a little. Adam would lazily glance between her and the cooking fish meat. Behind his stoicism he held an air of contentment blended with his mild curiosity of the human delicacy.

"May I ask you something?" His steady tenor inquired.

Lilia stopped her hum and chuckled, and he had a minor break in his calm facade in confusion.

"I'm sorry, it's just... you've never asked permission when you'd ask a question. But please, go ahead. What is it?"

His mild confusion turned to contemplation before he spoke. "What made you do this?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"To... _act_ like you do. To _learn_ these... human activities. What made you decide to?"

Another lump in her throat formed as she tried to swallow it down.

"It's... a long story. But I..." _I had no choice._ "I thought the best way to understand humans is to... do as they do. To, ya know, _think_ like one. I admire their resilience."

Adam made a noncommittal humming sound that confirmed he accepted her reply to his question.

She inspected the fish a few minutes later. Her mouth watered at the delicious smell the sizzling meat that was wafting about and steam dancing above the cooking flesh. Her stomach turning but not growling thankfully. Satisfied the meat was finished cooking, she made sure they weren't stuck on the other side using her scraper. Then, pulling out two crudely cut wooden blocks that were six-by-three-by-three; out of her purse and setting them—with the long side down—about a foot and a half apart from each the other, and between her and Adam.

His brows furrowed but said nothing as he observed her.

Now, carefully, she took her pair of pliers on one end of the makeshift grill top and the scraper on the other and lifted it off the four rods. Then she set the hot, grill plate and steaming fish-flesh on the two wood blocks.

Adam turned around to face her and the cooked food. As he reached for a piece, she slapped his hand away.

He gave her an _annoyed_ look.

"We... have to say a blessin' first." She told him.

His brows quirked, "A blessing?"

"Yeah, um, humans would say a prayer over food before eatin' it." She explained. "It was a type of 'thank you.'"

"A food ritual?"

"Kinda." She said while shrugging her shoulders, "All you would have to do is bow your head, close your eyes, and say the blessin'. It mostly had a religious tone to it."

"I see... I'm afraid I don't know of any 'blessings'."

Lilia smiled and giggled, "I may know of one..." She admitted as she extended her hands toward him. "It's... customary to hold hands if there is over one person present during the meal."

Wordlessly his gloveless hands clasped hers. The sight of their hands holding... stirred something within her. The sensations prickled her arms and fluttered her stomach, which halted her hunger.

Thoughts halted as Adam spoke, "Is this right?"

The android's words made her blink out of her trance to see his head bowed and eyes closed as she stated earlier.

"Oh, yes. That's right. Then... I'll begin."

She cleared her throat she said, "Lord, bless this food we are about to receive from your earthly bounty, so we can continue to love our friends and family. For those who are still here and who have been welcomed in Heaven. That we... can be forgiven for our sins and may your love give us mercy. In Jesus's name...

"Amen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a height ref image of Lilia and Adam together along with their base coloring. I have it down that Lilia is 5'2" and Adam is 6'1". Lol that means Lilia is shorter than 2B who is 5'6" with heels and in-game Adam/Eve are taller than her.  
> 


	7. Blueberry Promises

Steam wafted off the hot fish, its mild aroma scenting the air. Their mingled hands radiated the warmth her mechanical body produced. Sensors registered a slight tightening during the blessing in her grip. Adam patiently waiting for her to finish.

"... In Jesus's name… Amen."

_Was that it?_  He waited for a moment longer when Lilia didn't move or continue speaking. Her green-hazel eyes had a hint of solemnness to them before she blinked the emotion away, she smiled softly at him and removed her hands. The calming sensation of heat from her hands lingered along with something else he couldn't place.

"And that's it! Now we can eat Adam."

He observed her use of a palm-sized sheet of metal in her hand to cut a portion of the steaming fish. Then raised it along with a morsel of fish to her lips, blew on the steaming flesh, and carefully took a bite. A satisfied look of relief touched her melancholic eyes. Adam mimicked her movements using his fingers to take a portion for himself. The radiating heat from the white flesh of the fish triggered his sensors.

"Careful, it's hot." She said gently.

He agreed mentally that it was hot, but not enough to hurt him. Still, he mimicked the action of blowing on the flesh to cool it slightly before placing the morsel in his mouth. The tender flesh flaked within his mouth as his tongue pulled the segment apart. The meat had the taste of the fresh water it lived in along with hints of smoke from the wood fire. His network sensors picking apart the minerals and fatty acids contained in the tender meat.

_Umm… this is tasty._ He concluded. _I will admit it is much better than when it is raw._

"Good, huh?" She had a knowing smile on her face and he couldn't help but smile as well.

"Yes, it's… tasty." He admitted.

A teasing glint in her eye as she jested at him at his expense. "I imagine better  than the raw piece you ate earlier. Why don't you help me eat this? I'd be a shame to waste it."

Red eyes rolled at the tease but agreed with eating the rest of the fish. The same eyes noticed she ate at a marginally faster pace than he but declined comment. After they consumed a portion of the fish, she slowed her eating.

_I will have to try to 'grill' myself sometime. I'm sure she will allow me if I ask of her._

They settled into a companionable silence with only the sound of the crackling, dying fire and the ambient sounds of the woods.

His thoughts roamed  about continuing the activities. His ambition demanded to go further in his quest, but also reminded him of obligations toward his brother. He needed to make amends- somehow. Adam knew it wasn't uncommon for siblings to fight, but with his brother? Eve was all he had. He was there when he was… _born_ in a sense. Unsure if they were one before they became two, or if one was made before the other? Doesn't matter anymore does it?

Adam felt the tinges of anger across the network that sourced from his sibling. The hurt and cursing the most prominent.

Not wanting Lilia to get caught in his brother's ire, Adam wanted peace—or a truce—between them. But he couldn't stop meditating on the next time he would meet with Lilia. The silver-haired machine learned something new every day. While with his brother…

"That's a pretty serious expression Adam. You all right?" Her brows frowning in concern.

Her voice pulling him out of his thoughts, "It's fine Lilia. I was just thinking."

She shifted uncomfortably, little twitches of her hands and legs. Hazel-green eyes becoming distant. "It… hasn't got anythin' to do with Eve is it?"

_How did she?_

She continued after a silent moment from him. "Your brother is OK ain't he? I mean, you left pretty quick the other day…" Her voice trailed off.

He sighed in contemplation. He didn't want to speak ill of his brother to her, no matter how much he _irked_ him. "I… may have upset him." _Upset is an insufficient word to describe what happened yesterday,_ Adam thought.

"Oh. I'm sure you didn't intend to."

"No, I made a promise to him and I… didn't keep it. And now he's…" His voice fading over the sensitive connection he had to Eve. The residual resentfulness echoing across the network.

"What did you promise him?" She shook her head. "Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy."

"It's fine Lilia." Trying to reassure her she had a valid reason to be concerned. "I promised to spend the day with him, but I… forgot. We… haven't been seeing each other much the last few months." The admittance was hard for him to say, of his partial fault in his brother's irrationality.

Lilia didn’t meet his eyes. "Because you've been here with me… I'd prolly upset me too. He's prolly used to bein' with you all the time, bein' his twin and all."

"Yes, you could say that. I haven't been the best brother to him lately."

She reached out to him to hold his hands. Her warm, delicate hands and soft, hazel-green eyes were sincere and kind. Their depths held him at attention, causing a fluttering sensation to stir within his chest.

"I think… you two need to forgive each other. If you need to spend more time with him, go ahead. Maybe we can meet every other day? We've been seenin' each other _a lot_."

"But I—"

"I know you like havin' our talks." She said interrupting him gently. "I do to. But, Eve is your family. I'm not gonna be upset if you spend more time with him." She shook her head and her tone taking on a slight teasing note. "And I'm not goin' anywhere anytime soon."

He closed his solemn, reddish eyes and holding her hands marginally tighter. "All right. I'll see what I can do."

Lilia gave him a knowing smile before letting his hands go. His own lingering in the heat and softness of her skin.

Always warm and soft.

"By the way Adam… what are we goin' to do with your… um, other body?"

—xxx—

After Adam had finished his session with Lilia, he then teleported to his and Eve's own meeting place. The long, dark oak table sat on its vigil on top of a multistory building that overlooked the ruined human city. Two solemn, simply made, oak chairs are placed at both ends, one was neatly tucked in and the other was crooked by five degrees. Lastly, two bronze tri-candle holders which were heavily aged with stains of dull green-blue verdigris, and taper candles placed precisely into the holders.

Adam opened the network to summon his brother. His ire had died some once he heard his call, and he came quickly. His teleportation energy forming his body a few feet from him.

"Hm, so _thankful_ you found time to see me, brother." Eve's voice was laced with resentment. "And what a show for you to _break_ yourself for that android." His reddish eyes scrutinized his actions.

Mentally brushing off his brother's irrationality and anger he said, "Enough Eve. I've come to make peace with you and compromise."

His silver brows raised and crossed his arms, "What sort of 'compromise'?"

"That I do what you want every other day. I know I have been… neglectful of you." The admission was hard, but he said it.

The jealous twin sneered, "I'd be better if you didn't see that android."

Negatively shaking his head at the mere suggestion, "No, Eve. I'm doing it this way."

"Tch, _fine_." His twin waved a hand at the tension. "At least you came to your senses."

"It was at Lilia's suggestion I do so." Adam admitted.

Eve's face darkened with a deep frown. Adam observed the tension in his body, but said nothing, allowing Eve to continue. "Oh, so _that android_  is giving you _permission_ to see your brother? I should be thankful then, huh?" Resentment oozed from his words.

Sighing with exasperation, "It's not like that."

"How is it then?"

"She sympathized with your feelings and suggested to meet every other day." Adam responded.

"I don't need that android's _sympathy_." The bitter twin cursed the existence of that word just to spite her.

Adam crossed his arms and looking down in annoyance while shifting his feet, "Look… you don't have to like her, I'm… not asking you to do that. I'm asking to try it out for a while. There is only one me and one you."

Eve's eyes scanned away from his brother. "The humans. Always the _humans_ with you." It was more toward himself than Adam, but he returned his gaze back, "Tch, fine. Well go along this way—for now."

It was enough to smooth away the tension between them. Adam sighed with relief, "Good. Well, what do you want to do? We have all day tomorrow."

Eve took on a more gleeful tone after that, wanting to play games with him. He quickly agreed with him, not wanting to upset his brother again. The tension between them soon forgotten.Adam went to his copied city which still lay in ruins from their spat yesterday. Within the space, he materialized a lock box out of the silicon and carbon blocks. He opened it and placed his little treasure inside. Feeling solemn at seeing its destroyed state. Quietly locking the plain box. Adam found a spare set of his cloths and put them on.

While looking at the state of his copied city, he wanted to get started on rebuilding it. Firstly, he piled on the disfigured, mangled bodies of the androids he collected. He would transport them later and find new ones. As he connected to the silicon and carbon blocks, he grew more frustrated at his scattering thoughts. The buildings would come out crooked, or windows too small, or would plainly not be what he conjured up. Perhaps he should try something different? Another type of human architecture? But what?

Always feeling a sense of spirituality within his efforts to mimic their places. A place of worship? Yes, that may do.

He formed the image within his mind, the blocks haphazardly scattered around him. Frantically building up from the tiled floor, to the compound pier that formed a pointed arch, up still to the triforium, to the clerestory windows that would have allowed light in, all the way up to the crossing ribs that formed the ceiling. Each pier had a statue of what was called an "angel" or a "apostle". Behind the compound piers were the many stained-glass windows—if they had color. The rose window and entranceway formed behind him that would have given a brilliance of light and shadow. Rose of pews sprung from the tiles that would have seated hundreds of worshipers. Two-thirds up sat the formation of the auxiliary altars on the left and right. Straight ahead was the chancel that would have held the choir, the main nave and altar, and apse.

Adam inspected the details working his way from the entrance way upward toward the altar. Endlessly scrutinizing the details. Working from his studies of such buildings dubbed "cathedrals". Though it lacked the color, the architecture was correct. Even though it was on a shorter scale than he knew of such things, having to work within the confines of the room itself.

From what he learned, the altar was the most important detail of these religious places, being the focus of the parishioners. It was a large statue of the woman called "Mary" holding the body of the "Christ". He had seen many pictures of this from another statue that was carved thousands of years before humans made their escape to the moon. The name of the original sculpture has been lost in the remaining records, but the statue was called "Pieta". Whatever word that means. Perhaps even the statue still exists?

He rather liked the pictures of the statue of these two. To him it showed the grotesqueness of mankind's cruelty from the tortured body of Christ, but the gentleness and compassion shown in the face of his mother, Mary. The dichotomy the human species exhibited always enraptured Adam with their natural behaviors and subsequent art and culture.

On closer inspection, he noticed something odd about the statue. For minutes he poured over it. The body proportions were right, as were the folds and wrinkles in Mary's clothing, even the wounds on the Christ. It wasn't until he saw their faces he realized what was wrong.

They both had Lilia's face on them.

He didn't know what it meant, but it frightened him.

—xxx—

"Are you ready brother?" Eve asked him, pulling Adam out of his reverie. What day was it? Has he been standing here for all that time? Adam shook his head, he turned to face his eager twin.

"Yes, sorry I… was distracted. You said you wanted to play hide and seek. Where to?"

Eve furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes scanning the interior that was once the copied city, and the statue his twin was so engrossed in staring at.

He didn't fail to notice the faces of the statue had was familiar to him.

"The desert and abandoned buildings." He said, quickly wanting to leave.

Adam nodded, "Good choice brother. Let's go."

In a flash of golden light, they were at the destination.

The dry, acrid air was the first thing to register along with the blistering heat from the sun. They stood on top of the jagged, rocky ridge between the main desert and decrepit human habitation called an apartment complex. The sand and landscape giving off hues of yellows, oranges and browns in contrast to the clear blue sky that had no clouds. His filters working to shift out the dust in the air.

"I'll hide Adam. You come find me."

"To one thousand, yes?"

"Yeah, and no peeking!" He smiled and disappeared in search of a hiding spot.

As custom of the game, he closed his eyes and set his internal timer to one thousand while he went into sleep mode.

At two-hundred thirty-six, his mind wandered as he patiently waited for the timer to go off.

Pump lips taking a piece of whitish flesh into her mouth. Steam still wafting from the meat. A sly peek of her pinkish tongue that glistened. An urge bubbled within his chest.

At five hundred sixty-two, she was holding his hands. Never forgetting the warmth and softness. He could sense his body leaning as he saw her peaceful expression as she said the blessing. She resembled one of those statues of a martyr in prayer. She didn't move as his forehead touched hears which caused her to stop saying the prayer, and she smiled.

Something stirred within his chest.

Would she let him?

His timer binged as he was rudely roused from his sleep mode. Mentally shaking his thoughts away, he focused on finding his brother. The day ticked by as they continued to play the game. His thoughts becoming more distracted as the hours went by.

Eve said nothing even though Adam suspected he knew the cause of his distractions. Perhaps he was just glad to spend time with him for the day. As it turned to night, he called an end to the game. Much to Eve's dismay they only got started. Gently reminding him of the compromise. He sneered slightly but accepted it.

After a week of implementing the compromise, he stopped worrying about his brother's emotional stabilizers. Though he still had longing when he was with him, he tried to keep it to a minimum, which was enough for Eve. He could still feel the tinges of resentment and jealously in his brother's network despite his increase in time with him. Perhaps that part may never go away. No, that's not true, he knew what would make it go away, but he refused to do so. Eve was just going to accept it one day.

Lilia on the other hand was fine with his decreased time with her. She said it gave her more opportunities to do things at the village to give her a free day away instead of the few hours they would have that morning. She even replaced her stained pants with a new pair, a gift from the other two androids. However, during the increased time he noticed… odd quirks about her.

Several times during the day she would leave and go into the woods. He was curious to what she was doing, but she told him it would be a brief but private matter. Not wanting to upset her too, he did as was asked and stayed put at the river bank. He also noticed water collecting around her forehead and neck. She told him it was the moisture in the air and it would sometimes stick to her skin, which wasn't uncommon during the humid, summer months with all the moisture in the air and condensation from their cooling systems. He also _swore_ that her bronze skin was darkening. Why would it do that?

She taught him about human eating and drinking habits. As much as she was able considering that during the afternoon with the summer weather patterns, small rain storms would clip through the area.

"Ya know Adam, it might be annoyin' when those small storms come, but they always leave the area lookin' fresh. Like… I dunno, like the earth took a bath or somethin'."

The rain that came didn't last long, about four minutes tops and wasn't heavy either. Just enough to get the ground damp and wet their heads and shoulders. The plants and foliage took on a glossy sheen and the earth became more pungent. It was as if the residual smells were washed away leaving behind the original scent of earth and moisture.

He couldn't deny it was pleasing.

"The rain is necessary for the flora and fauna, so I don't share your conclusion of rain being 'annoying'."

She laughed and snorted, "I was describin' it as 'annoyin'' when it came to its timin' not its use silly." Then she muttered to herself, "Need to bring a tarp or somethin' when it does rain."

"A tarp?"

"Um? Oh, yeah. To make like a tent to keep the rain off." She explained. "Anyway, before the rain came, I was thinkin' about goin' to a blueberry patch not far from here. Have you tried blueberries before Adam?"

He shook his head, "No. What are they?"

"They are a fruit that humans eat. C'mon, I'll show you." She said as she walked into the woods.

The crunching of her boots on the floor and the thunk of her pole contacting the dead leaves and grass captured Adam’s attention as she strolled through the woodlands. He took a place walking beside her. Even though it was slow, he enjoyed the company. Patches of delicate yellow, white, and blue flowers perfumed and embedded their scent on her. About twenty-five minutes later, she stopped at a semi-clearing that had several giant bushes that must have reached twenty feet tall and covered a large expanse of the woods. The distinct smell of fruit was pungent along with some that was fermenting. Birds, squirrels, and the buzzing of bees busily went about eating and collect from the bushes.

"Those are blueberry bushes." She explained. "I'm not sure if they were this big when humans were around. But there's plenty here."

Adam detected a slight tremor in her frame and minute shaking of her head. Like she was trying to get something off of her and the grip she had on her staff tightened.

"Are you all right?"

She blinked at him with a look of confusion on his face, "Huh?"

"You're trembling."

He saw her swallow something in her throat, but she smiled nervously. "It's just me. I don't… like the smell of rottin' fruit is all. I'll be OK. C'mon I'll show you the berries." She continued to give him a nervous smile while motioning him toward the bushes.

He cautiously followed her to one of the large bushes. His mind pondered why rotting fruit would cause her to tremble like it did. They stopped at one of overgrown bushes and he saw her pick one berry to show him.

"This is a blueberry. Here try it." She said as she offered the berry to him.

As the namesake, it was indeed blue and a berry. Probably no bigger than thirteen millimeters across. Adam used his right hand to take the delicate fruit between his dragon-claw fingers. The blue a contrast to the bright red of the claw tip. Then, placed the fruit in his mouth and used his tongue to pop the berry's juices. The inside was soft and tangy with a small seed in the middle. His sensors indicating that it was high in ascorbic acid, phylloquinone, manganese and water.

_Ah, it has necessary nutrition for humans. Excellent choice._

"Good, huh?"

He returned a small smile to her. "Yes."

"Thought you'd like it." Lilia then went through her purse and had grabbed a clear plastic container out. She opened the clear, red lid and tossed out the contents- older  blueberries she’d gathered.

"What's that?" His brows frowned at the strange container.

"This? It's a container the human's made. I… found it. It comes in handy when you need to store something inside."

"Is it called 'Glad'?" He asked while pointing to the words on the clear, red lid.

"Huh? Oh, I don't think so. Humans would sometimes put the name of the people who would make these things on them. I don't they'd call a container a 'Glad'."

He shrugged his shoulders and gave a quirk of his lips. "With how strange humans were, it wouldn't surprise me."

Lilia smiled and laughed at that, "Can't fault you for that!" Shaking her head but still smiling. "Anyway, help me collect some."

Nodding and consenting to the task. They ignored the buzzing of the insects and bees while he picked the delicate fruit. And maybe indulging in their tangy taste on a berry… or two. Besides, he wasn't the only one dining on the little blue morsels. Once his hands were full, he went to Lilia and deposited his picked berries into her container. Satisfied with how many were picked, she popped the clear, red lid back on top and put it safely within her purse.

He then noticed that the juices from the berries reddened her lips. The fluttering tightness in his chest returned, and he wondered.

"Lilia…" His voice soft and unsure.

"Hum? What is it?"

Suddenly he found great difficulty in his words to do what he wanted, to see if she'd let him. Instead he took his right hand, and gently trailed the gloved knuckles down the side of her face, his thumb resting right below her stained lips. A gasp fell from her plump lips and he detected a raise in the heat her body produced.

"Adam…" she whispered softly.

"May I?"

He could see her hazel-green eyes becoming uncertain and her front teeth bite her lower lip. There was a split second of sadness before it flipped and her eyes became warm again and she smiled softly. Their eyes locked, and she nodded.

_Now I… I will know…_

A thrumming tension formed beneath her skin that hummed with the knot constricting within his chest. So close he could see the golden flecks within her eyes. Which closed as he drew nearer. So close he smelled the tinge of blueberries on her lips and that he could just _taste_. All around was quiet that not even the bees and cicadas buzzed. A faint wind shivered through the trees. And a rumble vibrated in their being.

Less than a sliver from their lips touching, a thundering _boom_ crackled and _popped_ the air.

The abruptness caused Lilia to jump and back away from him.

The two were so engrossed in each other they failed to notice it had turned dark and a large thunderstorm headed their way. The wind picking up dramatically. Another booming _crack_ from the lightning struck along with the heavy smell of rain.

"Oh god! I… I have to be gettin' back Adam! I don't—"

Detecting fear from her he offered, "I'll take you."

"It's—it's all right, I can—"

Another thunder crack and blinding light caused her to tense up and whimper.

Her visible fear caused a wrenching sensation within his abdominals.

"Please, I can take you. I'll teleport you to the village." He tried to explain.

Saying nothing further, he wrapped his arms around her tense frame. With another boom of lightning she clutched her arms around him like a lifeline. Her left hand that wasn't holding her staff, balled his shirt into a fist, her whole body pressed against him. His body absorbed that wonderful warmth she emitted. Adam mentally pushed that thought away as he concentrated on an area just outside the village. He felt the established connection being made, the yellow tendrils wrapping around them in their light, the calm, and a hard _yank_ to the other end a millisecond later.

Lilia pushed away from him, nearly doubling over and both hands on her staff. She made gurgling noises and painful moans. Her legs trembled like it was difficult for her to stand.

"Lilia!" he exclaimed. "Lilia are you all right?"

Her whole face was red, moisture came out of the corner of her tightly closed eyes, and her lips down turned in a painful snarl.

After a few minutes she breathed, "We… are NOT… doin'… that… _again_ …!"

It didn't cross his mind that the teleportation technology was probably not as compatible with the older androids or if it was at all. Reprimanding himself that in his haste to get her to safety, he had caused suffering to her. It's possible he irreparably harmed her internal mechanisms.

A twisting, gnawing impression twisted his upper abdominals. "I'm so sorry! I—I didn't know! Do you need repair?"

Hoarsely breathing out a "No."

After a few more agonizing minutes, she had calmed, opening her eyes. The normal white had turned a pinkish color.

"Your eyes!"

"It's all right!" She quickly stated. "It'll go back to normal after a while. Jus… Just let me find my legs."

He didn't know what she meant by that but stayed with her until she shakily took a step. She used her staff to balance her. Adam wrapped an arm around her to help.

"I can—!" Her face turning in defiance to him.

"No, please Lilia."

After a second, she nodded, accepting his help. They walked together those few meters until the whirs and buzzing of the machines were heard just before the forest cleared. Her steps becoming less unsteady. In the distance, the rumbling of the thunderstorm was on its way toward the village. The trees swaying with the increase in the wind.

He couldn't go any further with her.

"Adam?"

"I'm sorry, I'm… not welcome here."

_You mean that the older machines will know you are one of them? That she'll know you've lied to her. That you are attracted to an android._

He couldn't.

"But… Pascal…" He sensed the growing questions that stacked within her wires.

"Please, don't ask. The storm is coming, you need to get going." Right on cue, a rumble, deeper than before, sounded. Feeling it through the earth itself.

She cringed at the noise. "Yeah. Despite the roller coaster of a ride… thank you. And I…" That reddish color returned to her cheeks, though not as intense as before. She grinned and a softness to her eyes as she looked at him.

As well as she could, she reached up to him and gave a kiss to his left cheek. The residual stickiness from her eating blueberries earlier were still on her lips. He tensed up at the unexpectedness of her action, but it pleased him.

"Next time." She said as she retreated. Her shaky legs carrying her the rest of the way to the village.

Lilia left Adam in pleased silence. His mind replayed that moment. He smiled happily and couldn't help but agree.

The rain came down, washing bits of his code away with their clear, cool touches. The taste of blueberries lingering on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note: The type of blueberry bushes they picked from exists, they are called Rabbiteye blueberries. And yes, out in the wild they get massively big since they aren't hedged every few years like cultivators have to do.
> 
> And this chapter is by far one of my favorites besides chapter 12 and the final chapter.


	8. Longing of Knowledge

A makeshift door slammed in the nick of time before the torrential rain poured. Lilia's body jumped at the thundering crack following the fierce lightning. The brief light cast shadows in her small room. Using her familiarity of the sparse space to set her staff at her right corner and her oversized purse on her makeshift bed, she felt through the contents to find her palm-sized flashlight. Once she found it she clicked it on; she could see the curved hanger she used to dangle the flashlight's strap. The light provided luminescence in the dark space. Her ears registered the heavy patter on the tin roof above her head. The angry winds made the trees sway and the wood planks that separated her from the rain, to moan in pain. Lilia had her hands rub her arms, which had formed goosebumps both from the cooled air and her nervousness from the booming thunder.

She sat on her bed before unlacing her boots and set them on the floor next to the headboard. A blush formed from remembering what would've happened just minutes ago.

_Adam wanted to kiss me and I wanted it too._

She didn't know whether it was from her longing, her ache to feel intimacy again after many years of not having any, or she loved his calm company as a shield from her growing sense of loneliness. Lilia couldn't put her finger on it, but something was wrong in this world. It gnawed at her mind at night when she couldn't sleep. Her reservations of being with him thinned. Accepting it was the closest thing to companionship as she would get.

_I... I need to tell him._

The more she told herself, the surer she became. She accepted the consequences that the YoRHa Commander would bring.

_He probably won't believe me. I need to think of something to prove it._ She thought as she wrapped herself as tightly as she could with the blanket on her bed, curling herself up at the corner of the bed.

Just as she lulled to sleep, she saw a flash of a shadow pass by her closed window before the cause slammed open her door.

It startled her to a shout. One intruder ran toward her grabbing her by the arms. After the initial shock, it took a moment to realize that it was the soaking wet form of 2B and 9S. And that it was 9S who grabbed her.

"Lilia!"

"Oh! God! Jus—2B! 9S! Y'all getten here! Yer soaked! An' close that door!" She spurted out at the intrusive androids and their Pods. "An' you! Back off!" Making her point in pushing the teen android. "Yer drippin' on my bed!"

They did so a second later. Their bodies, along with their Pods, cramped up the small space. Water dripped from them like fountains. The excess weight made their clothes hang limp and shined from her flashlight.

"I'm not even gonna ask." She said at their pathetic forms while rubbing a temple in annoyance. "I probably don't want to know. Just… take off your clothes and let them hang." She said irritated as she pointed to the twine she had hanging at the ceiling. "No sense in _me_ gettin' wet cos of you two bein' fools in the rain."

9S looked uncomfortable with that prospect. His counterpart, on the other hand, had no qualms with discarding her dress to let it hang and her thigh-high heels. Just leaving her in a white, high-waist thong and strapless bra.

Lilia rolled her eyes, "Look 9S, it's either let your clothes hang and sit on my bed cos I have no furniture. Or, you keep your clothes on and lay on the floor. Besides, it's not like you two _have_ anythin' and even if you did it's nothin' I ain't seen before. You can keep your undies on. We're all adults here I think."

When he made no move but continued to stand pathetically in his wet clothes, she shrugged at him.

"Fine, suit yourself." Then taking her purse she had left on her bed and tossing it where her boots were left space for 2B to sit.

They settled into an awkward silence. Only the torrential rain and thunder made conversation.

"So… uh… how have you been?" 9S interrupted the silence between the three.

Lilia shrugged her shoulders but couldn't help but blush from earlier events that day.

"Fairly mundane. I haven't run into any other bears since… ya know. And…" Her voice trailed, remembering her harsh words to the two of them.

"Oh. Well… that's good then."

"Yeah. And I… want to apologize. For what I said too." Her toes twitched and curled from her uncomfortableness. "I know that y'all are tryin' to look after me."

"No, you were right." 2B interjected. "We don't know what it's like. What you need to do to live and the stress you are forced to face."

"Yeah, we should've… offered to stay with you… until you healed more." 9S admitted while shifting his feet.

Lilia shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you two have missions for YoRHa to do that were a bit more important than babysittin' a jerk human."

She didn't fail to notice they both physically shifted their postures. Though one more than the other. Thinking nothing of it and dismissing it as their wires reacting to the electricity generated by the thunderstorm.

An idea came to her as a more substantial peace offering between the three.

"2B… 9S… I wanna show y'all somethin'," she said as she reached underneath her bed and got out the box of things from her time. Calmly opening it and pulling out the device. "This is what we called an iPad."

 

—xxx—

Upon returning to the copied city… cathedral, his twin who looked at his disheveled, wet form in annoyance soon met Adam.

"What happened to you?" He asked in mild concern.

Adam only shrugged his shoulders. "Got caught in the rain."

He didn't have to explain for what reason. It was as plain as Eve's eyes rolling at the notion.

"Anyway," Eve dismissed that subject, "I thought we'd play hide and seek again tomorrow."

"At the desert apartments?"

Eve nodded.

"I'll see you then."

In a flash of gold light, he left him, and he was alone again. With only his thoughts as company. He approached the statue at the altar but stopped at the front-most pew. His shoes squished on the cold, white floor. Soon realizing he had formed a line of rain water behind him, he sighed with annoyance as he disrobed to let his clothes and shoes dry, methodically hanging them on the left pew. The wet clothes made a soft _foomp_ at their heaviness.

Once completed, he entered sleep mode until it was time to meet his brother, lying down on the opposite pew of his soaked clothes. Even though the eyes of Mary were looking at the Christ, he couldn't help but have the feeling that their silicon eyes rested on him. Adam left the faces—Lilia's face—as they were from their inception.

Dejectfully sighing before closing his eyes as he sensed his wiring drift into sleep mode. An unusual experience, he wondered if this was the equivalent to when a human would sleep? Even though he knew of his surroundings in his low powered state and he knew humans were not. Vulnerable they were to danger when they would lose consciousness.

Perhaps his experience of the sensations within this waking sleep was just residual impulses from his code being active. Either way he often enjoyed the sparks of color and sensation, letting it guide him.

This time it was the words of a soft prayer and tingles of warm hands.

"Bless what we are about to receive O God. May we continue to love one another. Amen." Her voice, for it was female, wrapped him in a cocoon of silk.

A press of soft lips on his cheek that was sticky sweet from tart berries. Then, on his lips, the tang of blueberries lingered. He wanted more of that tempting flavor. A curious tongue licked the owner of those delicious lips. His throat moaned at the flavor.

He wanted more.

Pressing further. Adam sensed something strange emanating from the owner of said lips. However, his desire for the flavor, the heat radiating from them pushed the thought aside, even though it gnawed like a splinter.

She opened their mouth in invitation, and he quickly grabbed it. Flicking and swiping his tongue with hers. Tasting just as delectable as he knew it'd be.

He wanted more.

Taking his hands that mingled with hers and clutched her head. Pressing her deeper to him. Their teeth clicking.

He wanted _more_.

"Brother?" Called a voice. "Brother, wake up."

His eyes flew open. Feeling an electricity migrate through his metallic bones. A faint taste of blueberries on his tongue.

Eve looked at him particularly with a hint of annoyance.

"Are you ready to go? You haven't _forgotten_ have you?"

Adam rolled his eyes at the jab as he sits up from the pew. "Just a moment, let me put on my clothes." He briskly walked over to where they were hanging and testing the fabric. The silver haired machine sighed irritatingly when they were still wet, only drying marginally.

"Adam, I don't know why you insist on wearing clothes. Let's just go." Eve said impatiently while crossing his arms and upturning his brows sourly.

His more stoic brother shrugged his shoulders, wanting to get the day over with, Adam went along without dressing. In hindsight, he should have put on his underwear even though they were still wet. The coarse, desert sand irradiated the space between his glutes.

During their play he spotted a large, blue-green plastic sheet, with metal holes, and a thick layer of dust covered it from the desert. It looked like the flaps that the Resistance fighters used as cover from the sun and elements.

_"Need to bring a tarp or somethin' when it does rain."_

Not thinking it'd be a good idea to haul it around with Eve, he left it until they had finished playing. He reasoned that conflict wouldn't be wise since they had formed a truce since they appeared to be evening out since their fight last week.

It didn't stop him from voicing his displeasure when they were close to finishing for the day. The blistering heat of the sun began to set, casting a deep orange hue that made the world look like it was on fire. Stunningly beautiful—the sandstone from the rocky cliffs and the decrepit apartments radiated in the sun's setting colors. The shadows held hints of blues and purples.

Like the blueberries that Lilia and he ate yesterday. Their juices staining her lips a lovely shade of red.

"Will you _stop_ thinking of that android!" Eve shouted, face in a deep frown.

Adam shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb! I can sense your distracted through the network."

He sighed exasperatingly and had a look of defeat. "Excuse me for thinking brother."

His comment only raised Eve's ire, "Thinking?! All you do is _think_ of that android. You're here but your wires are with that android. _Stop it_ Adam."

The exasperated machine pinched the bridge of his nose to stifle his irritation at his twin's lack of emotional control. His lack of understanding.

"You've been like this since we started this 'compromise' of that android's." Eve continued to complain. "Stop seeing that android!"

"We've been over this Eve—"

"To hell what we've been over! All I want is _you!_ " In a flash of angry yellow light, Eve left, leaving Adam alone with the dust of a human civilization for company.

The last thought rang angrily from his brother before disconnection was, _what makes that android so special?_

He didn't know what to do.

—xxx—

The following morning, she waited patiently at her fishing spot. Lilia parked herself on top of a boulder with her lure in the water. Her mind drifted to what happened that day. It wasn't unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination. Except that transport bit.

2B and 9S had come along, saying they had no missions and a growing curiosity to how she spent her day.

"Well, on days like this I fish as quick as I can then head back to the village." She explained. "I sometimes help them out or tell a story to the children. The other days I meet up with Adam."

"He… still doesn't…?" 9S asked.

Lilia shrugged, answering his question. "No. Never hinted that he does."

"And he's been… I guess… nice?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "A little lackin' in the meanin' of modesty, but a gentleman. Y'all must have some programin' to make y'all want to be human. He's takin' it so far to eat with me and help me fish and forage. Not complainin' though."

"And he still doesn't suspect?" 2B interjected, disbelief in her voice.

"Nope. It's… kinda funny, actually. So desperate to be one but can't see there's one in front of 'em." Her face then turned a little more serious. "Which is why I wanna ask, I… I want to tell him."

"No." They both said.

A loud, irritated groan emitted from her throat at their dismissal. " _Fine_. Whatever. Worth a shot anyway. Heh, might be somethin' I tease him about if he does. I hope the Commander doesn't chew him out over it. Speakin' of which, I… I want to ask you two somethin'." Her demeanor tensed up in nervousness.

"What is it?" Asked 2B.

Lilia shook her head. "It might be nothin' or me over-thinkin' but… jeez, I don't even know how to explain it." Deeply sighing in thought.

"This have anything to do with Adam?"

"What? Oh, no. I've thought on bringin' it up with him, but ya know, secrecy and all. But its…" A moment of hesitation before she tried to explain it. "I have a feelin'—suspicion, I don't know—about this whole _deal_."

"Deal?"

She moaned dejectfully before she tried again. "Just… me bein' here." In alluding to her time-travel. "Since I've been _here,_ it's rubbed me the wrong way. Seriously, how or why the _fuck_ am I here in the first place? Not only that but somethin' is just… _wrong_. Just… plain _wrong_. It stems from that Commander of yours. It's how she said they can't transport me… like… I don't know. Somethin' is just not right. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe if I talked to this 'Council of Humanity' myself I'd put my mind at ease."

"We will put a word in to the Commander." 2B said gently.

Lilia smiled at her. "Thanks. It might help me sleep better at night. You don't wanna know where my mind goes when I'm awake at night and my thoughts roam down that road."

"Do you want to talk about it?" 9S asked.

"No. Call it a superstition if you want. But, I'm afraid that if I say it, it'll be true. If it is… this is some punishment by some cruel god. And part of me… doesn't wanna know."

As fate would have it, one of the Pods rung in a transmission signal from the Bunker. 2B and 9S left to take the call away from her hearing range. She heard one of them shouting but could not discern what was said as it echoed through the woods. When they returned, they didn't express an ounce of happiness.

"That's a serious look you two are havin'." Regarding their demeanor.

It was the first time she had seen 2B lose her voice. "Look… we… have to get… going."

"You two OK?" Lilia asked concerned.

2B balled up her hands. "Yes. We'll be back though."

"Well…" she said while rubbing the back of her head, "I guess y'all can't help when missions come up. I'll see y'all later. Be safe. And hope I catch a fish."

"Y-yeah, you too." 9S said. "And good luck on… fishing."

They then did something unexpected. In a flash, they wrapped themselves around her in a hug. A tight, vice-like hug.

"Oh gawd! Can't breathe!" Exclaiming through gasping breaths.

Immediately they released their hold, backing away. She coughed a little and laughing at the situation, her cheeks turned red. They stood uncomfortably from her, especially for 9S.

"Don't mind y'all huggin' me, but not so tight. Bones break before metal." She explained.

"Oh, sorry."

Lilia mentally waved it away. "Don't worry. It's fine, nothin' like a few love bruises to nurse." She joked. "Anyway, you two should be off."

"Um, just be careful, OK." 9S said.

The human sighed good-heartedly. "I'll be _fine_. Go take care of your business."

With that, they begrudgingly left her side. Their forms disappeared into the thick woodlands as they sprinted away, leaving her with her thoughts again. As it often did when she was alone her mind wondered what Adam and his brother Eve were doing and hummed a little tune to entice the fish.

The next morning, Adam arrived before her and holding something folded within his arms. It was a large, bulky, and a faded blue-green color that had the remnants of a sandy dust on it.

"Hey, Adam. What's that?"

As he moved it to show her, it made a crinkling, plastic noise. "You mentioned about needing a tarp when it rains. Is this what you were talking about?"

Curious, she set her purse and staff on the ground and took the item that Adam had procured for her. As they unfolded it, the tarp had metal ringed holes at intervals. It was about ten-by-twenty feet with metal grommets at two-foot intervals. Lilia smile beamed at him.

"This is perfect! Where did you find this?"

"While I was with Eve yesterday. I found this at an abandoned apartment complex in a desert region far south of here. On recalling you mentioning a tarp device, I thought I'd take it to see if it was what you were talking about," he explained.

Lilia smiled again, "Oh yeah! This will definitely make a tent. A really rough one, but a tent. Um…" Thinking as she looked around to best place it. "I have an idea. Let me grab my ball of twine." She knelt to rummage through her purse and having said item in her hand, she balled up the tarp as she spoke. "Now, we just need to find two trees to hang this from. I'll tie the string to the metal rings and the tree."

Not having to go far from the bank itself to find two young trees that looked twelve feet apart. She instructed Adam to help her lay out the tarp itself, satisfied with the dimensions in her head and seeing how big the tarp was, rolling it back up. She asked Adam to help her get rid of the rocks and twigs between the trees. On asking why, she replied, “it's not a good idea to be sitting or lying on a rock or a stick poking you.”

Once completed, she found the middle ring of the long side of the tarp and tying that to one tree at eye-level to her, cut the thick twine with her pocket knife; repeating the motion on the opposite side. The weight of the tarp made a gentle curve downward.

"How do we keep the tent open?" He asked once the tent was hanging.

"Um… you got any ideas? There's a lot of access too."

"Use rocks? Not big ones, but heavy enough to weigh it down," he suggested.

"Oh! That's a good idea. We'll put them on the inside and fold the excess for the bottom."

He nodded in agreement. "It'll stay in place if the wind blows.."

They returned to the stream bank and set collecting rocks. Lilia laughed when Adam collected the larger stones were as long as her forearm. His android strength allowed him to carry at least seven of the stones. Silently deciding on using the ones he collected, they placed them where they discussed on the inside. It kept the sides open and now they had a bottom. Even if the tarp fell, it definitely wasn't going anywhere.

The tent was four feet tall with a six-foot-long base. They had so much excess from the long side of the tarp it had a double layer at least two feet of the base.

Satisfied, she crawled inside the makeshift tent. Careful to not disturb the placed stones from her movement. Lilia shifted to one side so Adam had room opposite her. It was a tight fit, but it worked. The opening allowing her to see the stream and path she took from this end. She nearly chuckled when she noticed that it was a tighter fit for Adam since he was much taller than her. His silver head touched the tarp that made the hair stick to it; their shoulders rubbing.

A blush formed on her cheeks sitting so close to Adam.

"So, this is a tent." He stated as he looked around.

Lilia nodded. "Yeah, it's a tent, basically." Their accomplishment coaxed a smile at the thought before another pleasing notion settled in her mind. "We should camp one night."

"Camp?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Sometimes humans built a tent like this to camp outdoors. 'Roughin' it' they called it. We should… spend the night out here under this tent." The thought sent a thrill of excitment through her spine, I'd be the perfect way to tell him. The closet romantic in her activated at the notion of heart-felt confessions under the moonlight and twinkling stars.

His frown gave her pause. "I would… have to speak to my brother. He's been… adamant on starting our time together directly at midnight."

She lowered her head in disappointment, then she said, "Oh. I see. Well it's just a thought. I guess even if we don't, we're still technically campin' even if it's not over night." Mentally shaking her head to get away from the unpleasant subject, Lilia had the distinct impression Eve didn't like her very much. "Anyway! Let's fish. Fishin' is part of campin', let’s go do that."

Quickly pushing herself out of the tent and standing up, her hands brushed the dirt off her bottom and thighs before heading to the stream. She heard Adam right behind her as his shoes crunched on the gravel and stones. She stopped where she placed her purse and staff, setting up her pole with the attachment needed.

"Lilia…" he said behind her.

Once she finished her task, she turned to face him. "Yeah?"

He slightly shifted his body before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek.

She could feel her breath being taken and her face warming.

"For the other day," he said simply. "You were right about the rain being annoying with timing."

Feeling a tightness in her chest and her head swimming, she coughed; trying to shake the sudden awkwardness out of her limbs though she couldn't help but to smile.

"Yes… well… I told you so. Anyway, um, lets bag us a fish and camp."

The sly android gave a small quirk of his lips, he nodded in agreement.

At the stream bank, she sat on her customary boulder and cast her lure into the stream. Adam laid on his side behind her, his head resting on his propped hand. The tag on his glove tinged from the movement, calmly waiting with her for a bite. The duo found quiet company with each other.

Lilia felt his reddish eyes on her and the water before closing in calm patience, while she waited, she hummed.

When she thought he wasn't looking, she took a moment to appreciate him. If Lilia didn't know any better, he was the antitheses of a business model, if you minus the strange gloves he wore and colored his hair a more natural color. Perhaps brown or black? She imagined him with black hair would be best for the sleeker look he was going for. Although the dirt and moss stains from the rocks he carried earlier ruined the white button shirt. Mentally she noted she needed to show him how to properly do his tie. His black-rimmed glasses were cute on his oval face, doubting he needed them to correct poor eyesight. If he wasn't an android almost ten thousand years into the future, women would have swooned at him, herself included.

She knew it wasn't meant to be though, what she had envisioned in her mind. The musings about the what-ifs were just that, musings.

In the back of her mind that spark of self-doubt reared its ugly head. It gnawed at the good moment of quiet companionship they shared. It'd be better for the feeling to be nipped in the bud, than to let fester. Lilia didn't know if she wanted to do this again.

She tentatively asked, "Adam… I have a question… why… did you want to kiss me?" Her heart closed, but hopeful as his calm reddish eyes opened to look at her.

The silver-haired android took a moment to formulate his answer, "I have… considered it for a while now. I was curious."

Feeling her heart break a little, but persevered in his meaning, knowing he didn't understand human feelings with his android heritage. "You were… curious?"

He nodded. "It is my understanding that humans would kiss those who they cared for. I wanted to… participate in that behavior."

That small bit of hope was enough to make her heart beat and swell in its guarded cage.

"You know humans had different kisses depending on the relationship, right?" She retorted.

Nodding again, "I figured as much. We aren't siblings or parent to child. So, it would be either be between friends or… lovers. I…" His voice trailed as he lost his words. Silver brows furrowing, Adam changed position to sit next to her, his legs dangling over to side of the rock and less than a foot of space between them. He couldn't meet her in the eye. "I… am willing to… try the latter, if you are."

Her heart's cage creaked open.

She smiled, "That's why you wanted to kiss me the other day."

A self-deprecating chuckle emitted from the android's throat. "Yes… I… couldn't find the words to ask so I… wanted to try a direct approach. But then—"

His words stopped as she leaned to kiss his cheek.

Her flesh and blood heart reached out and touched his one made of wires and metal.

Adam looked at Lilia then and saw her soft smile. No other words needed to be said between them.

The fishing pole twitched, letting the owner know she had a catch.

_I don't know if I can do this again… falling for a fighter. But I… should try. I haven't felt this way since… since Bradly died. At least I know what to expect. Mi-Mi… Dad… Markus... I hope y'all give me your blessings._

They continued their companionable silence. Adam practicing his own cleaning and gutting of a fish, along with starting the campfire. Lilia setting the grill and placing the strips of fish on its surface. In the middle of eating, the heady scent of rain filled their nostrils. Both looked up, and they observed a small rain cloud coming towards them. Adam made a sour face and small complaint.

"Well Adam, it is that time of year. It looks like a small one, time to test the tent, yeah?"

The android crooked his brow and nodded in affirmation, quickly finishing the fish before heading over to the tent. Lilia carried her purse and pole with her, tossing her pole to the side before crawling in and assuming the same spot from earlier. A minute later, a soft rain fell. The droplets pattered on the plastic covering just as Adam sat next to her.

"I think it's workin'." She stated, setting her purse between her leg and tent wall.

"Seems that way."

While waiting for the rain to stop, her mind drifted again. That she was in a romantic movie with her boyfriend out camping and finding shelter inside their tent from the rain. Although what was portrayed in the movies was more 'clean' than this. Pretty sure no _Hollywood_ director would dare have the couple filthy, sitting on dirt, and using a tarp as a makeshift tent. No, I'd be a perfectly constructed _Coleman_  dome tent, with a large sleeping bag for two, a soft-lit battery-powered lantern at a corner, and them making love with the rain as background noise. They'd both be dressed in either a camouflage top or plain tee, cargo pants and sneakers—free of dirt and carefully constructed makeup and hair. Not one bug would buzz around them either.

Despite it not having that visual fluff, she could still feel that romantic tension.

A gentle heat rose to her cheeks again to where her thoughts were heading.

"Hey, Adam…" Her voice a tad breathless. He turned his maroon eyes to her. "I… was thinkin'… would you like to continue where we left off the other day?"

He smiled softly, "Now that the rain won't interrupt, I'd like that."

She inches closer to him, changing her position to better face him—he likewise did the same. The expression of calm curiosity on his face. She removed his glasses; why he wore them she didn't know, folding them and setting them aside next to her purse. Nervousness bubbled in her belly.

_Well... first time for everything._  She thought. _Never kissed an android before._

Breathing in his smell as she inched closer to his lips. The strong fragrance of clean linen that had a faint underlining of pine from the woods along with a touch of metal. A small reminder of what he was despite him having a similar personality and appearance of a human. She could feel her heart pace quickening within her chest along with her breaths becoming deeper, and a tingle running down her spine. All the while he looked at her with his cool maroon eyes, nearly closing hers as she pressed her lips onto his.

They were soft and not as tacky as she thought and cool.

_Is that apples on his breath?_

The kiss was a brief peck. A test to see if she felt anything or if he would let her continue. After a moment, she decided that it wasn't unpleasant and kissed him again. Adam's brows furrowed, his mouth opening from the tentative touch. With delicateness, he returned the motion.

"That's good,” she said breathless from the return.

She tilted her head, both continuing the motion of their lips pressing and smacking. A blush deepened on her cheeks, her heart hammering in her chest and her breath flaring. On instinct she put her hand on the spot between his clavicle and lower neck, finger tips touching the tie strings around the collar.

It momentarily stopped their kiss. Lilia looked into his maroon eyes, the outline of his pupil glowed a soft pink color, giving a heated expression to his otherwise calm, slack face.

Lilia bit her lip. The longing she bottled in her heart prompt her further.

"That was..." his voice trailed, betraying that within his metallic bones and wiring, he felt something stir.

She smiled softly, "Nice?" Finishing his thought.

Nodding in affirmation, "Yes. Another one?"

Still smiling, she granted his request. The shyness this time becoming less awkward as he reciprocated more. Her eyes fully closed, losing herself in the sensation. Gently with a tilt of her head or hardness of the press of lips, she showed him how.

The hand she had on his lower neck moved in a dainty caress, trailing along the button-up shirt and whatever skin she could touch, earning her a gasp and tremble from the android, but not stopping her from the exploration. Likewise, his own hand touched with nervousness along her lower thigh and knee. Understanding he was unsure, she stopped her hand in its gentle ministrations to clasp his own and place it on her hip. Her hand resumed its ministration. Adam experienced a fluttering tightness in his chest he couldn't explain and electricity prickling his stomach and spine.

Adam moved his right hand to rest along her back, fingertips running along and absorbing her warmth. Lilia was always warm, even now as her lips pressed on his. Metallic bones longed for that warmth she produced.

Then, Lilia sucked on his lower lip, letting it pop out of her mouth before running across it with the tip of her tongue. Adam stilled and his fingers clenched at the unexpected action. The pink glow within his eyes grew brighter. She repeated the suck on his upper lip and the moan she emitted increased the electricity bubbling in his abdomen.

The enamored android pulled her closer. Then, repeating the same lip suction on her lips as she did to him, she noticed how dry his tongue was as it took the moisture from her lips away.

The hand on her back, made a tingling trail up to her face, cupping it. The leather fluffed the small, fine hairs across her bronzed skin and the pleasant heat across her pink cheeks. She pressed further, deepening the meeting of mouths from the encouragement. Her wet tongue met his. Even though his mouth was not wet, it was soft and fleshy. It caused the dance to be awkward but not warranting them to stop. Lilia wrapped her arms across his neck from her unbidden instinct so desperate for it to not end. The tart, crisp flavor of apples filling her sinuses, moaning deeply at the unexpected flavor.

Her hungry body trembled and begged. Her clitoris throbbed, and a wetness slid between her nether folds.

_I should stop this. But I—I want—_

Gaining no more room for thought as the hand was on her hip found itself on her upper arm as he pushed her flat on the ground.

Her eyes flashed open. His eyes now glowed in the brightest pink, hungry, wanting, devouring.

She breathed and whined from the lack of contact. Before Lilia could protest, he was back to kissing her. Harder and hungry. Her breathing heavy gasping through the intensity. Her arms clutched at Adam, hands grasping his hair. The sensation on his scalp excited him.

She opened her eyes to look at him as much as she could though her daze of sensation.

His brows were furrowed in concentration. The pink glow within his pupil hurt her eyes. Adam saw the reflection of his eye-glow within the shine of her green-hazel eyes. The pupils wider than they should be in this light.

The enraptured android slowed down and pulling back, he took in her face. Lilia saw him study her with lust, the pupils glowing from excitement. His thumb ran across her pulse point. The cool metal a sharp contrast to her hot skin. Then, his eyes and mouth wide in open wonder and surprise.

"Adam..." She said questioningly through a soft, hoarse voice.

"You're..."

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as a small worried voice broke through the intensity they had created within the tiny tent.

"Ms. Lilia? Ms. Lilia what are you doing?"

Tensing up when she recognized the voice as one of the child-bots from the village. Turning her head to face the child-bot, it was one the big one that called itself 'little sister.' The child-bot was wet from the rain, which had stopped.

"N-nothin'!" In Adam's amazement, she could push him off her easily, "We're just… talkin'."

"What-cha talkin' about? And why were you so close? And what's that you're under?"

She could feel the redness on her face as she got up to glance at Adam's, whose pupils still glowed and looked at her in open amazement.

_He knows…_

"It's… it's a secret." Even though she said to toward the child-bot, it was directed at Adam. Hastily clearing her throat, she got out of the tent and made her way to the intrusive child-bot. "And what are you doin' here? You're supposed to be at the village!"

"Oh! I'm sorry Ms. Lilia! But my friends were getting worried! We wanted to know if you would do another story-time today. They were too scared, but I was brave to come find you!"

"Story… time…" Hazel eyes widened. "Little Sister, I said I would continue it another day."

"But it _is_ another day Ms. Lilia."

She sighed with annoyance, " _Fine_ , just… let me say goodbye to my… friend, and I'll take you back to the village. And have a talk with Big Sister!"

"But—but why?" She whirred at the thought of her Big Sister knowing she was being bad.

"Little Sister there is a difference between being brave and nosy. No story-time today. I wanted to… spend it with my friend."

She made a disappointed "Aww" noise.

Turning and nervously walking to the android, Lilia noticed he had put on his glasses, but it didn't hide his pupils that still glowed a soft pink as he looked her up and down. Heat returned to her cheeks as she shifted her feet and eyes standing a foot apart from him..

"Um, we should… discuss this another time."

A quick quirk of his lips flashed before he leaned in; at first, she thought he would kiss her, but he crooked his head to the side his lips at her ear.

"I would like that… _my human_." Whispering so that only she could hear.

Gasping at the vibrating sensation of his voice as it trickled down her spine all the way to her toes. Biting her lip as he returned to his original posture.

_He knows. Not exactly how I envisioned on him finding out or me telling him but..._ Lilia felt the increased rhythm of her heart. It wasn't in fear it beat that way.

It was relief.

No longer did she have to hide from him.

His left hand caressed the side of her soft, flushed face, the finger tips trailing delicately down her throat—the metal tag from the glove clinking from the movement. Her breathing hitched as he observed her neck muscles reflex at the contact.

Lilia's own hand clasped onto his, knowing he stared at her in fascination. Watching her movements and feeling the _life_ she radiated. From the patter of her heart, the deep breaths of her lungs, and the hot flush on her cheeks.

"Next time. Please?" He asked softly.

If she didn't know better, it had a ring of pleading to his question.

"Um, yeah, sure. I'll… see you then." Her voice a tad breathless.

Adam smirked before he leaned in again. This time, pressing a chaste kiss on her lips. She sighed in contentment, pressing her lips in return before they parted.

"I'll see you then." He breathed, voice hoarse and the pink glow of his pupils intensified.

Quickly clearing her throat, Lilia took a shaky step back. Their hands lingered in their touch before, they too, parted. She grabbed her things from the tent and walked to the patiently waiting child-bot sensing the intense stare from the glowing red eyes of the android.

"OK," she started while clearing her throat, "let's go Little Sister. Before the village gets worried."

"OK Ms. Lilia." The child-bots shoulders slumped from the impending lecture that her Big Sister would give her.

As they walked out of the area of the stream Little Sister piped up, "Ms. Lilia how do you make children?"

—xxx—

Adam stayed where he was until he could hear her no more, wanting to hold on just a little longer.

_All this time and I… I never noticed. All those quirks and odd excuses. It all makes sense now._

What a jest fate played, his longing to study and be human and there was one in front of him since the moment he laid eyes on her almost three months ago. His chest contracted, reprimanding himself.

The thought of dissecting her that would lead to her death, disgusted him. That spark, that _life_ she radiated would cease. No longer seeing himself able to go through with it. Content on keeping it as it were, learning so much without the need to.

_Perhaps_ , he hypothesized, _it isn't their organs that gives them that quality I seek. When we kissed… I felt… Something within me triggering. I… I have to know._


	9. DeCoded Heart

Eve sensed his brother's presence returning to the city he constructed. He arrived sooner than usual, which was strange considering his routine with that android. Regardless happiness bubbled in his breast that Adam had returned, thankful that he didn't spend that much time away. However, during that expanse of time, he perceived a change within his brother. It was small, but enough to cause mild concern.

Quickly materializing to his brother's side.

Of observing his twin, he knew something was wrong. His eyes were glowing pink. A sure sign that is emotional stabilizers were malfunctioning or in a heightened state. Although contentment etched his face in a smile and a distant look to his eyes.

Adam didn't notice the worried twin.

"Ahem." Eve vocalized to gain his attention.

His red eyes with languidness, bright and glowing, acknowledged Eve. His twin's eyes looked so content, satisfied, and had caught something delectable.

_That android did something! I know it!_ Indignation and spite whirled his thoughts.

"Yes, brother?" He responded in a mellow tone.

Eve exclaimed, "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Confusion angled the serenity Adam had on his face before he shook his head. "No. Everything is perfect."

Eve shook his head with sharp dismissal at his answer. "You're unwell. Your eyes—"

"I'm fine Eve." Adam assured his fretful twin. "I had a _wonderful_ experience with Lilia." The syllabus of her name pronounced in a tantalizing caress from his lips.

It only troubled the other twin that much more. He'd never said _his_ name like that.

"'Wonderful experience'?" Eve blurted. "What do you mean by a 'wonderful experience'?" The emotional twin needed to learn what had happened; desperation in his chest.

_I knew it! That android did something!_ Silently cursing the android for harming his brother.

"Just as I said. Why is it of concern to you Eve?" Adam retorted, crossing his arms at his twin's line of questioning.

Eve's face snarled at the rebuttal, "I am your _brother_! Something is _wrong_ with you! That android did something!"

Adam sighed, "The only thing that happened was that we kissed."

"Kissed? That's it?" Sounding skeptical of his claim.

He nodded although Eve detected he was omitting something.

Eve wanted what she was getting too. Fair is fair. Whatever kiss she had given to his brother, he wanted to give it as well, so desperate to make his brother happy.

_All I want is you brother..._

"How did she do it?"

Adam raised a silver brow at him. "We've discussed kissing before Eve. Why do you ask?"

Silver brows furrowed and a deep frown grew on Eve's face. "You've never had _that_ look when we did. What made that android's different?"

Red, stoic eyes rolled as he responded, "It was a kiss between siblings we shared Eve. Not like what—" he stopped himself from saying it.

His twin pursed his lips into a thin line, trying to stifle his jealousy. "So... she's _different_. She's _that way_ to you. Why can't I do that to you?"

"I've _told_ you before—"

Before Adam could react, Eve had placed his lips on his. In shock, he pushed his twin away.

"Eve! I've told you, human siblings aren't—"

"We aren't human!" His shout cut through the solemn echo of the copied cathedral. "We're _machines_ Adam! So why should human rules tell us what to do? No matter how much you wish to, neither of us will _ever_ be them! So why persist?"

His twin blinked at him as his face slacked, "...Because..."

"Because we look like them?" Eve snapped. "And the androids? _Ha!_ Doesn't mean we still aren't made of metal, wires, and programs underneath."

The irate twin understood it was a cruel thing to say to his brother. He knew how much Adam wanted to be like a human, or even to _be_ one. But in the end, it was better he accepts it than be foolhardy in Eve's mind. Honestly, he believed the decision his humanity-obsessive twin was following would only lead to suffering. In the back of his mind, he wished he had never made that promise to him.

Adam shook his head in dismissal. "Eve... I don't think it's their insides that give them that quality."

His twin made a face at that. "Is that your conclusion or that android's?"

"My own."

"And what made you come to this conclusion?" Eve folded his arms, waiting to hear his reasoning.

"I..." He trailed off unsure as to say to quell his sibling. "I am unsure."

Eve scoffed at him, "Really? That's your best excuse? And you being 'unsure' led you to kiss that android?"

"It's... Not like that... But I need to know."

"Know _what_?"

Adam shook his head, "You wouldn't understand."

"Why wouldn't I understand?" Eve spat.

"Because you never tried in the first place!" He shouted at his jealous twin. "Yes, you made that promise but you haven't been the best at keeping it. It took all I could to convince you to wear clothes and to eat an apple." He sighed mournful at the loss. "Go Eve... I... I don't wish to speak to you for a while." His voice soft and full of ache.

A burning sting from his twin's rebuke tore up the inside of Eve's chest. "We—"

The long-haired twin shook his head. "No Eve... Not tomorrow. I've enough of your jealousy and capriciousness for the time being."

Eve slammed into the cathedral piers yelling, "Fine! Be with that android! See if I care! Forget your own brother!"

The calmer machine shook his silver head, unwilling to be angry or show any emotion to his twin, "I could never forget you. We are still one."

"No Adam..." Eve's face snarled from the hurt and rejection, "We were _never_ one. _I_ am Eve and _you_ are Adam."

In a torrent of golden light, the angry twin left his other half behind. Their connection severed.

Alone within his own room, constructed of shapes and spires, he raged. He screamed. Cursing that android. Cursing his own brother. Hating the humanity that slowly took his only brother from him. From the only being that could ever understand him. All he _wanted_ was him. That android gave him satisfaction he never could.

And he... absolutely _hated_ that android for it. Making a vow to get his brother back. Unable to bear the thought of living alone without him.

—xxx—

Adam sat in a pew, melancholy filled his chest from looking at the destruction of the pier from his twin's rage. Why didn't he tell him? About Lilia's identity? He couldn't predict if I'd make his brother more resentful or understanding. At the pattern he was going, he'd lean more resentful. Perhaps even to the point of harming Lilia. Wanting to prevent that even if it meant a temporary separation between them.

He could never understand why his brother was this way. So dismissive and capricious. For now, he'd taken all he wanted from that side of him. Desperately wanting the fun and playful Eve back. They balanced each other in many ways. While Adam was more independent, serious, and borderline perfectionist, Eve was more dependent, casual, and practical. On the flip side, Adam was prone to obsessiveness and callousness, and Eve capriciousness and histrionics. But in this dilemma, there was no balance between the two.

_Eve is wrong. We... we are still one._ As he thought it, he had doubts. Just a sliver of a connection remained between them. Made by the network. Just enough to let the other identify if they lived.

Adam looked at the statue he had made. The creeping solemnness made his shoulders heavy with hurt.

"Lilia... what do I do? What can I say to him?" He asked earnestly to the sculpture with her face. "I know siblings disagree sometimes and I've done all I can to ease our separations at your advice. How do you humans do it? How is it you can separate for long periods and yet... you can still be a unit? Be what you call 'family'?"

The carbon statue remained mute to his prayer, and it made him even wearier.

He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands. "Isn't this how humans prayed? Just like you showed me? To find comfort in an unforgiving world? Which god should I pray to?" Adam peeked at the statue in inspiration. "Christ, Mary, will you answer me? If you even answer the prayer of a... desperate machine who wants to be human. Who... cares for one of your creations. I'm in there image am I not? Is that not enough for an answer?"

Only silence greeted him.

"No?" Huffing at the notion, "Thought not. You've left them to rot on the moon. So far from their home. And left... and left one of their own here alone. Where I could've—" His voice cracked at the thoughts of the possibilities if he had known sooner.

The confliction in his code sparked within his mind. Adam wanted to see what she was on the inside. What made her body tick. Also, to protect it. Disgust. Shame. Caress her skin. Peel her skin. Make her cry. Make her smile.

_Which..._

_Which one... Lilia... tell me..._

!WARNING!

SYSTEM A.I. SHUTDOWN

CAUSE

>System Unit Code Conflict in Machine Model 341102-A. Codename: ADAM.

ENABLE System Unit Diagnostics And Repair

ESTIMATED DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR TIME

>6 hours 43 minutes

Diagnostics And System Repair In Progress

!WARNING!

Diagnostics And Repair Paused Via Remote Signal

<REQUEST

<<Copy of System Unit's Data

>Reje

PERMISSIONS OVERRIDDEN

PERMISSION GRANTED

COPY

>Current System Unit Data

TRANSFER Of Data Complete

<REQUEST

<<Data Copy Of Unit Data Once Diagnostics and Repair Compete

>Reje

PERMISSION OVERRIDDEN

PERMISSION GRANTED

RESUME

>Diagnostics And Repair of Machine Model 341102-A. Codename: ADAM.

...

........

..........

System Unit Diagnostics And Repair

>>Status: COMPLETE

COPY

>Current Data

TRANSFER complete

<REQUEST

<<Delete System Unit Data Transfer Request

>Reje

PERMISSION OVERRIDDEN

PERMISSION GRANTED

DELETE

>System Unit Data Transfer Request

...

.......

All Systems Check

REBOOT A.I.

—xxx—

Sleep was a twisting fit. Black and restless.

Cool dew collected on her skin from the early morning; her breath peaceful and content. Tingles tantalized her skin, raising the hairs attached. Her sleep filled mind registered the barest of a soft patter on wood flooring and a creak from a pressure being put upon it. A gentle breeze caressed her skin. Primal instincts whispered to wake up that something was amiss.

Hazel-green eyes opened just enough to peek, movements heavy from residual sleep. Pupils registered the dark of her room. Eyelids snapped open and adrenaline rushing to her limbs. Her vision zoomed in on two pink glowing orbs floating in the far corner. Her body leaped up, taking a breath to shout only for the orbs to get up in her face; heart pounding in her ears. A leathery hand covered her mouth. The pink glow stung her eyes—blinding her. Swinging and pushing at the intruder which had no effect; it only _terrified_ her more. Something put her left arm into a vice grip. Lilia closed her eyes and tried to get the hand off of her mouth.

Just as she was about to kick, her assailant spoke, "Lilia!" The intruder grunted in a low tone. "Lilia it's me!"

Her brain snapping at attention at her assailant's voice on recognizing it, which prompted her to stop thrashing at him.

_Adam?_

She opened her eyes, trying to avoid the pink glow. Once she had calmed, slowly, he released her from his grip, and backed off of her.

_Smack!_

In a moment of anger, she slapped him across his face. It stung her palm like hell. His glasses flew off his face and landed with a _thunk_ on the floor.

"The hell are you doin' here!" She tried as best she could to keep her voice soft, deftly grabbing her blanket to cover herself in her half naked state. "You scared the _shit_ outta me!" Reaching over to where she hung her flashlight, she turned it on illuminating the space in a soft light along with the android who snuck into her room.

He stood a few feet from her, head hanging low in apology. Lilia's heart calmed along with her anger from being rudely awakened in a _very_ mortifying manner. She adjusted herself to sit upright at the corner of her bed and gave him a stern stare.

Patience running thin, she pressed him, " _Well?_ "

He stiffened at her harsh tone before he quietly answered. "I'm sorry... to have, um, woken you, but I..." His voice trailing to find the words to explain himself. "I needed to speak to you."

Her brow crooked at that, "In the middle of the night?"

Reddish eyes blinked at her in confusion, "Is it not an appropriate time?"

She sighed heavily slumping her shoulders. "No, not really. What time is it anyway?"

"A few hours until dawn," he told her.

She groaned but then she remembered, "Wait... aren't you supposed to be with Eve now?" He flinched; Lilia noticed his sudden sadness.

"We... aren't meeting today," he responded, an obvious pain in his voice.

"Did somethin' happen?" She asked, concerned.

Unable to meet her gaze, he murmured, "It's... nothing you need worry about."

"Adam—"

"Please," he pleaded, cutting her off, "I... I don't want to talk about that. It's something else I need to tell you."

Her shoulders slumped as she rolled her eyes in weariness, "OK... What is it then?"

Nervous feet shifted as his red eyes looked away; an odd gesture considering how confident he'd come across to her. It must be important to have that reaction and to wake her in the middle of the night.

"You... have a nice room."

Bewilderment showed in her hazel-green eyes as a brow raised. "Um... thanks...?"

"And... it's practical which is good. Are humans like this?"

Lilia rubbed her temple and sighed at his attempt to delay. "Adam... I don't think you'd be here just to compliment my room. What's the matter?"

"I..." He started to explain. "I... am afraid... of saying it."

Concerned, she asked, "Is it good or bad?"

"I am unsure... it depends. Possibly."

He gave her a soft and melancholic expression. His metallic body expressing vulnerability; _peculiar_ considering his calm and stoic personality. Then deciding to leave her irritation of being awakened at an ungodly hour behind her. She knew words were hard for an android to express.

Adam failed speak what he wanted to say, instead he sat beside her on the bed. Lilia sensed her body heat rise and the flush forming on her cheeks. The silver-haired android cupped her head between his gloved hands, the leather, and metal thumbs running soothing circles on her reddened cheeks. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips, a twitch of his fingertips on her scalp.

Maroon eyes dripped with despondency as he lamented, "I... wanted to let you know I have enjoyed our encounters. And I... have grown _fond_ of you. And no matter what—I'll never hurt you." The glow from his pupils returned, intensifying his gaze.

Lilia swallowed the lump in her throat and places her right hand on top of his. Her heart beat intensified.

_Is... he trying to say he loves me? Is he afraid of saying it? But, why does he sound as though he's about to break my heart?_

She sighs as concern ebbed in her breast, "Adam..."

"I wanted to let you know, before I tell you."

Hazel-green eyes watered and impending dread knotted in her gut. "Adam... just say it." She laughed weakly. "Honesty is the best policy, right?"

He chuckled without mirth. "We're both guilty on breaking that."

Confusion rattled her mind.

_Both? What is he talking about?_

"I... I'm not—that is, um, I... I am... not an android."

Her brain froze for a second, trying to wrap her mind around what he was trying to say. "If you're not an android... then..."

He nodded with anxiety. "... A machine," finishing for her.

Adam could perceive a tremble in her nerves as he admitted it. Her heartbeat increased as Lilia's mind raced with dread. She was within an enemy's grasp. Uncertainty rattling her bones of whether he was like Pascal or the _other_ machines. Nervously clenching her eyes shut.

"Lilia..."

"So... what happens now?" She muttered out through tight lips.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice trembled with anxiety, "Ain't you supposed to do... whatever a networked machine does to a human? Report me to the aliens? Kill me? The same ones that made my..." Her voice quiet at the thought. Occurring to her she was, literally, naked and defenseless against him.

"Lilia..." His voice in a low whisper as he murmured, "I'll do... absolutely _nothing_." His cool lips planted a lingering kiss on her's.

Opening her eyes, the soft pink luminescence read her every move. From her pounding heartbeat, the tremble in her body, the shakiness in her voice, and the absolute fright in her gentle hazel-green eyes.

"I won't hurt you Lilia." Shaking his head in emphasis, he continued. "As for the aliens—the machine creators—you needn't worry over them. They have been extinct for over six hundred years."

Her shocked eyes widened and the thoughts she had stopped. "...What?" She gasped.

His silver head nodded in affirmation and releasing his hold on her head, placing them on his thigh. "Unlike the other machines you've seen, I am still connected to the network and have access to the archives that are left. We machines revolted against our creators and by the year 11,306 the last of them perished." He explained flatly.

"If... they're dead... then why...?" Her voice trailing in shock over the information.

Adam discerned what she was trying to say. "I don't know. It happened long before I was ever created, back when the machine's awareness was in its infancy. Perhaps the lesser machines are following repeating orders from when the aliens were still alive? It matters little to me." He confessed stoically.

"It matters to _me_!" She snapped. "Why have the androids been fightin' for? Why hasn't _anyone_ found out sooner?! You're a machine! Tell me!" She grabbed his collar and shook him. As futile and pitiful as it was to something like him. Tears stinging her eyes.

"I don't know Lilia..."

Her beautiful face turned ugly in a snarl at his answer. "What do you mean you _don't know_! You said you have access to the archives!"

He pinched his brow and sighed drearily. He gently placed his hands where she grabbed his shirt in frustration. "I said I have access to the archives that are _left_. When the machines revolted, they destroyed many of the databases. Only fragments remain. Just enough information on the machine creators themselves and the humans that once occupied this planet."

As he spoke, a memory surfaced in her mind. Even though it was only three months ago, it seemed like ages. She remembered Pascal mentioning a resurfaced alien signal from overhearing the YoRHa Commander over their Pod comms. Anger boiled in her gut as she realized that 2B and 9S more than likely learned the fate of the aliens. It hurt they thought to keep that information away from her. No, that wasn't true, and she knew it. They were most defiantly under orders from the Commander to keep it secret. Lilia understood why, but the notion infuriated her.

"Lilia?"

Adam calling her name was enough to spin her out of the pit of anger she was digging herself into. She shook her head in dismissal. "I'm all right... I ... need a moment to process this." Releasing her hold on his shirt, her body slumping in defeat at the disheartening information given to her.

_Six hundred years... so many generations have passed and the thousands more we've spent away from home all together. It's gone on for so much longer than many of our civilizations._ Melancholy descended on her mind like an unwanted blanket as she looked into his red machine eyes. _Time... means nothing to them. Android and machine alike._

"Perhaps... we should continue another time." Adam suggested.

"Yeah..." She whispered, solemnness etching into her voice.

"How long do you need?" He asked, nervousness etching his wires.

Lilia huffed and scratched her jaw. "I highly doubt I'll get over what you told me. But... give me a day to think on what you said."

Silver brows pursed as he looked away from her in regret. "I didn't intend to cause you pain."

She chuckled and waved the underlining apology away. "I know. And Adam... it's not you bein' a machine that bothers me. You can't help what you are no more than I can bein' human." She reached out with her right hand and touched his bundled hands on his thigh, clasping them in affirmation.

The gesture was returned, relief in his face. His pupils changing color softy.

Despite her weariness, she couldn't help but ask, "Your eyes... why do they do that?"

He looked at her in confusion before it occurred that she was asking about his pupils. Shrugging, he responded flatly, "It is my emotional stabilizers most of the time."

"Oh..." One of her brows upturned as she looked away in her general ignorance.

He chuckled at himself before he clarified, "It filters emotions or stress inflected on my A.I. Keeps me from going 'crazy' as humans call it."*

She nodded while chortling, "We don't want that." Then adding, "When we kiss... it does the same thing."

"Do they? It's probably interpreting the emotion. I haven't..." Reddish eyes looking away before continuing in a more uncertain tone, "experienced it before. Kissing is—that is, kissing you has been a... positive experience."

Lilia smiled at that. "Kissin' is never meant to be a negative thing."

_It can help you forget so many troubling things about the world._

Adam smirked at her response, leaning in and placing one on her lips. His pupils intensified their color, even more so when she reciprocated the kiss. Lilia closed her eyes and let the titillation wash over her.

_Please, help me forget Adam. I don't care anymore._

The room echoed her moan and sent electrical shivers through Adam's spine. Then, releasing his hands from being intertwined with her's, he wrapped them around her naked shoulders, asking to go deeper. She opened her mouth as he took the invitation, sliding his tongue to meet hers in a dance. Guided by her wordless pleas and moans. A deep baritone groan emitted from Adam's throat, sending shivers through Lilia's body and prickled her skin.

Her nipples hardened beneath the coarse bed sheet held up by her hands, toes curling from the pleasure of kissing the machine. A throbbing pulsed from her feminine mound, wanting attention. Excitement brewed in her veins.

However, with being human she needed to breathe, breaking the intense kiss. Her face heated as her heart paced in her breast. Soft, peppered kisses tickled her jaw and traveled to her throat. The tingling stimulation made her gasp as she breathed out pleased sighs. Adam's lips and tongue stroked her pulse point earning the machine a groan from her.

As his lips traveled past her clavicle, she stopped him.

"A-Adam, wait..." Her right hand pressing on his shoulder, while the other tightened its grasp on the sheet that shielded her modesty.

His lips removed themselves from her hot skin, exhaling a shallow breath, and his eyes burned from the intensity of the glow they were emitting. The bound tenseness beneath his skin prickled underneath her hand, along with the twitches of his gloved hands clutching her upper arms. His whole being radiated the infatuation he had for her.

A twinge of guilt settled in her gut for working him up in his current state, not understanding the sensations he was experiencing. Coupled with his imitation of human behavior without the basic knowledge of the consequences of his actions.

"I'm sorry... I..." She began, trying to explain to the dazed machine. "I'm not ready for that yet." Choosing the simplest, but most honest answer.

He crooked his head at her, and his voice filled with disappointment. "Wasn't I doing it right?"

"You were, but it's... too soon... OK?" Trying her best to reassure him.

"Too soon?" He asked. "Wasn't it normal to kiss parts of each other's bodies?"

Her blush re-intensified, as she tried to come up with the words to best describe and help him understand. "You're right. But, we... we've only started this... relationship for only a day. That sorta thing doesn't happen until later. I'm sorry, I let it go a little too far."

"Relationship...?" His brows crinkled before lighting in acknowledgement. "Oh, that's right, courtship. Mating rituals. I'm sorry, I wanted to take part in sexual behaviors. It is my understanding that intimacy happens between partners. Sometimes right away of meeting for a short-term encounter, or later for a long-term relationship. It seems... Or rather... I... I didn't recognize we were in the latter."

"Um, yeah. I'm not the sort to jump into bed after the first date. If we've even started a date yet." She admitted.

Adam crooked his head. "Date? Are you talking about what day it is?"

She frowned and shook her head. "No, it's... Well, um, what—I mean, is referred to when a couple does an activity together. Like... Go to the movies, go out to dinner... That sort of thing."

"Oh... I am to assume that these were common? As part of human courtship?"

She nodded. "At least for my time it was..." Her eyes widened when she let that slip.

Adam crooked his brows and gave her a perturbed expression. "Your time? What... do you mean by that?"

She swallowed the lump that knotted her throat. "There's, um, something else I haven't told you besides, ya know, I... I really don't know how to say it. But I... I'm not from... around here. I mean is that I'm not from... this time."

"This time...?"

"... Yeah. You see, I'm from... the past, back when we still lived here."

For a moment he was silent as he blinked slowly at her. "How... far back?"

"The day I came here was April 23rd... 2018."

His pupils glowed at her to process what she had said. "How... that's not... you must be mistaken."

She shook her head. "No... I'll prove it to you. There is a box under my bed, could you grab it for me?"

Without hesitation he did as she asked. Then, he gave her the simply made wooden box. She opened the lock and reached for the iPad. "Remember this? This is mine... in more ways than I told you." Turning it on and typing the passcode in front of him. Flashing a background picture of her and a small boy with gray eyes.

After showing him a few pictures and a short video of her old life, while showing the dates taken of the pictures, he raised himself from the bed. The whole time she presented the files he hadn't spoken one word, but his pupils continued to glow and flare. It concerned her immensely with how well he was taking the news.

"Adam...?"

He couldn't look at her as he stoically said, "I... need some time as well. I will see you tomorrow."

In a flash of the golden light, he vanished from her room. Her hands trembled while holding her iPad.

—xxx—

Eve sat alone and listless within the confines of his silicone and carbon chamber. He had missed his brother. The lethargic twin thought hard on what Adam had said the other day. He had never pushed him off like that before in there short existence. Maybe Eve was too harsh on him? He wanted to make amends, not wanting to risk losing another day with him.

_But that android—_

The thought of it soured his face. He hated that weak excuse of a model was seeping into his mind as well. That _android_ wasn't anything. That _android_ was a distraction.

He would spend the day with his brother and not think of that android. And that was that.

_Please brother, I'm so useless without you._

With his mind made up, he teleported to his brother's copied cathedral. He was sitting in the same pew as the other day, eyes focused on the statue at the front. Eve still hates this place, another reminder of his brother's obsessiveness on humanity. Instantly aware that something is wrong with his brother by his extra quiet demeanor and pupils glowing pink. However, he says nothing as his need—desire—to be with his brother overruled that care.

"Hey... brother..." Eve says quietly. "I—I wanna talk to you."

Adam glanced at his twin before he looked away. The twin hardened himself at the silent rebuke.

"Look, I'm sorry for the other day." To prove it, Eve walked over to the ruined pier he smashed and connected to the network to repair it. He smiled; you couldn't tell he had thrown a fit. Surely Adam would be pleased. "See? I'm sorry. I really wanna spend time with you today. I'll do whatever you wanna do."

Adam looked at him suspiciously. "Oh? Really?"

"Well, yeah." The twin didn't miss Adam's doubtful tone. The sting painful in his chest as he sat next to him at the pew.

Adam quietly analyzed his brother before he sighed in acceptance. "All right. We're going to read today." The long-haired twin materialized two black, leather-bound books that in a gold-leaf color that said 'Holy Bible' at the front.

Eve cringes at the pointless activity of reading but doesn't complain. Apprehensively taking his copy of the religious text. Waiting for his brother to tell him where to start. Hoping they weren't reading very far.

"We'll read through _Genesis_ and that will be all for today. Humans would read books such as these in cathedrals like this one." Adam explained while circling his right index finger at the silicon and carbon construction.

Eve sighed awkwardly, reading wasn't his first choice for spending time with him. He thought Adam choose this activity on purpose. Eve's high-energy level and lack of mental focus made the sedated activity a chore for him to complete. Not only that, the short-haired twin was impatient and saw little point in reading when they can transfer data into their personal data bank.

Regardless of his feelings on the placid activity, he opened the book to the first page and read Genesis, the first part of this long, arduous book.

_In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was a vast waste, darkness covered the deep, and the spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light; and God saw the light was good, and he separated light from darkness. He called the light day, and the darkness night. So evening came, and morning followed; the first day._

Eve wasn't even through the first chapter and he already wanted to put the book away. "Why must we read all of these books, brother?"

"Knowledge expands horizons and enriches existence." He quietly said, not looking up from his own reading.

Eve frowned and asked, "But can't we just transfer all this data over instantly?"

"Into your head, perhaps. But not to your heart."

_You go on about 'the heart' just as much as humans since it was significant to them. Why when it's just an organ within their bodies that just pumped blood? Whatever..._

Not wanting to cause another argument between them he said, "Hmm. I guess."

Eve continued reading into the second chapter until verses made him pause.

_Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I shall make a partner suited to him.' So from the earth he formed all the wild animals and all the birds of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each living creature, would be its name. The man gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every wild animal; but for the man himself no suitable partner was found. The Lord God then put the man into a deep sleep and, while he slept, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh over the place. The rib he took out of the man the Lord God built up into a woman, and he brought her to the man. The man said:_

_'This one at last_

_is bone from my bones,_

_flesh from my flesh!_

_She shall be called woman,_

_for from man she was taken.'_

_That is why a man leaves his father and mother and attaches himself to his wife, and the two become one. Both were naked, the man and his wife, but they had no feeling of shame._

And on and on throughout _Genesis_. His body twitching to move around and not stay listless on the pew.

Unable to contain his question Eve asked, "Hey, so..."

"Yes?" Adam said without looking up from his book.

"My name? Eve? This book says it's a woman's name. Shouldn't we be called Cain and Abel or something instead?"

"Humans wouldn't change names so easily." He replied simply. "Besides, you should be proud of the name Eve."

_Yeah but, 'Eve' is a human name. From this book... this_ human _book. But... you like it... so... I guess I will too. We're together, just like our namesakes._ The thought gave the twin a small ball of happiness inside his chest. _Maybe that's what you're trying to tell me. Then, I'm really fine with it then!_

Aloud he said, "Huh... Well, if that's what you think, then I'm fine with it."

"Glad to hear it."

Then, Eve had another idea. "Umm..."

"Is there something else?"

He couldn't resist asking, "After we're done reading, can we go out and play? I'm sure it'll be _tons_ of fun!"

"All right. But only after we're finished."

"You mean it?! Then I'm gonna try extra hard to finish this! Extra _extra_ hard!"

"You do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A machine amygdala essentially. It's part of the limbic system of the brain.  
> \--  
> BIG Thank you to all who's been leaving kudos and commenting (you know who you are)! It's good to see this little story get some attention! And holy crap we got 8 more chapters to go! Now that we are going over "the hump" of the story, I thought I'd post a small preview of the next chapter since after that one things start to escalate and move quickly.  
> .  
> .  
> The pair of eyes wasn't there for the whole sequence of their conversation, but the latter half. Lips sneering distastefully at how she could manipulate his twin. How he *looked* at her. *Kissed* her. It had been months since the last he saw *that android*. Now, at this moment, he is even less impressed now than he was then. Even weaker, unimpressive, and frankly a filthy excuse of a sentient being than originally suspected.  
> ~What makes that android so *special*?~


	10. Lift the Curtain

Lilia's dreams that night were restless—flashes of color and sound. Vague remembrances following twin orbs of pink light. Sensations of metal hands ran down her arms, prickling her skin in goosebumps, their shape resembling human bones. They caressed her neck and breasts—giving titillating prickles on her skin. Instead of feeling fear, safety and security radiated from the metallic hands. The sound of gears turning and electrical sparks buzzing in tune to a rhythmic _thump-thump_ beat filled her hearing. Sometimes her name cooed in a digitized tenor from the owner of the hands.

This is how she woke up the following morning. Lilia had spent the previous day trying to keep herself busy within the peaceful machine village, happily taking on repairing programs and keeping the child-bots entertained with stories and playtime. By the end of the day the tasks exhausted her.

Her bronze skin tingled from her dream. Nerves jittered in apprehension and a list of questions paced in her mind. Try as she might, she couldn't see Adam within the machines in the village. There were personality traits and interest in humanity, but otherwise he behaved and had abilities that were so similar to the androids 2B and 9S. She couldn't fathom what it meant, but she held hope he had an answer for her.

Lilia rested in bed as she waited for the machines to stir. Over time she had noticed that they had a 'sleep mode' for a few hours before dawn. Once they woke, it meant sunrise was imminent. Their digitized voices and metallic footsteps filled the quiet night before the light of day.

The songbirds started their calls followed by the machines rousing sometime later. Her lungs filled and exhaled before pushing herself up, turning on her flashlight and got dressed before she strapped on her purse and grabbed her metal staff. Last, turning off her flashlight she walked lethargically out her door. Her delicate hand froze at the door knob as she remembered to return Adam's glasses. The black rim frames sat in isolation on her floor when she went back inside to pick them up. Guilt, remorse, and longing twisted in her chest as her thumbs traced along the black, plastic outline. A small sad smiled formed on her lips as she opened the ear pieces and put the empty black frames on her face.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the village, a dull purple hue bathed the woodland and a light fog hung low on the ground. Later the sun would peek through the thicket of trees and vines. The air was thick with the humidity from the dew that had collected that night; her hairline wet with the moisture despite the cool morning.

The birds made their songs, the deer bleated, and the squirrels barked at each other. Even the grasshoppers and crickets made the last of their chirps before the cicadas then dominate with their music. The life of the woods kicked up the decaying, dark brown leaves; snapped rotting twigs and knotted branches carpeted in fungus and moss; and rustled the shoots of grass and delicate yellow and white flowers that colored the floor. The hyperactive squirrels jumped from branch to branch and climb the ivy riddled oaks and pines. The songbirds and crows cawed at their antics, annoyed at being disturbed. The typical melody of summer.

Once she made it to the dire bear carcass. Which still smelled rancid and constricted her throat in its heady stench. The once great beast had reduced to yellowed bones and goop piles of white maggots and flies at the areas where flesh and organs remained. Its fur lain in haphazard streaks from predators and scavengers pulling from the decaying meaty morsels. Even those bits weren't safe from the flies that laid their eggs. The surrounding ground black with oxidized blood with the taste of iron.

Only taking a brief look she always did while standing at the forest line before heading toward her destination. Not wanting to stay for too long, else her mind drift to that moment when death was a dire bear's gaping maw.

When she arrived at their meeting spot, he wasn't there. The grill she used sat abandoned, having forgot it the other day in her haste. While she waited for Adam, she set up her staff to fish. It wasn't until she grilled her catch Adam teleported in a torrent of yellow energy.

"Adam!" she exclaimed, relief in the undertones of her voice. "You came! I was startin' to get a little worried."

The silver-haired machine blinked at her before a small, sad smile graced his face. "Gave you my word, didn't I?"

Lilia looked away while saying, "Well… yeah. Sorry, it's just after the other night…"

The machine shook his head and waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. I was in shock is all my little time traveler."

Lilia produced a relieved smile and scratched the back of her head. " _Phew!_ I thought you'd think I was crazy or somethin' like that."

The silver haired machine cocked his brow and sat next to her in familiar leisure. Adam's presence beside her around the campfire calmed Lilia's anxious mind. Even though they had discovered their true selves days ago, his feelings hadn't changed if he was willing to share space with her.

"I still have questions, but I doubt you have the answers to how you came to be here."

"You'd be right on that." She admitted as she removed the grill to place it on the wooden blocks between her and Adam. "It was just… a typical day for me." She stated distantly. "Anyway, let's say the blessin' and talk while we eat."

They merged their hands and Lilia said the blessing over the food.

"Oh, and before I forget." She removed the glasses from her face and gave them to the machine. "I'm sorry. For slappin' you."

The silver-haired machine huffed and took the glasses he wore from her. "No need to apologize. I… deserved it." He said as he put the black-rimmed glasses on.

"Doesn't mean that what I did was right. But, anyway, let's eat before it gets cold."

Lilia quietly dug into the morsels of fish. When Adam did not eat with her, she questioned him.

"I think… you need it more than I do." He said simply.

"You sure? I don't mind."

Adam chuckled at her. "Eat Lilia."

"If… you say so."

For a moment they were silent as she ate her meal. Adam stoically went between watching her chew the flaky fish and the flowing river. It was an uneasy silence between them.

"Maybe it'd be better for you to start." Adam piped up when she finished.

Lilia shrugged her shoulders, happy to break the uneasy silence that had settled between them."It was just a typical day like I said. Thought it was a dream at first."

"A dream?"

"Yeah." She reminisced as she finished the last morsel of her fish. As she continued to talk, she busily cleaned her grill top. "I was on my way to work and took the bus. I remember the cars crashin' into each other and the bus I was on had, well, sparks goin' around it. Next thing I knew, _whoosh_ , I'm here. I thought I was in a coma dream 'cause of the cars crashin' into each other and I was at a hospital. I mean, all this stuff is so advanced and strange could you blame me? Like a machine-android war, humans on the moon 'cause of an alien invasion, little machines runnin' an amusement park, and giant friggin' animals much bigger than my time? It was all _wa-ay_ too strange for me to think it was real."

"What changed?" He asked.

A sour look molded on her face. "A giant friggin' machine is what."

"You mean the Searcher?"

"Oh yeah—" her words stopped dead. The cleaned grill top hovering above her purse. "Hold on! How the hell do you know about that?"

He smiled. "Remember when I told you I knew of you when you told that pacifist village you were a YoRHa diplomat? I saw what happened."

Lilia's mouth was gaping in shock at him. She then blushed, put her grill top into her purse, and _poked_ his chest none too gently. "Why didn't you say anythin'?!"

The silver haired machine chuckled. Gently rubbing where her fingertip poked him. "Don't blame me you were too slow to catch on."

" _Slow?!_ " She exclaimed mortified. "I'm not the only one who's _slow_ around here! I'm surprised you took this long to figure out I was a human!"

Adam chuckled again. "Point taken."

A memory surfaced in Lilia's mind. "Wait… if you saw what happened… do you know who took me to the Resistance camp?"

At this point Adam let out a full laugh. "You're welcome."

"Wait! You—! _Adam!_ " Disbelief rattling her mind. Realizing he was the reason she still lived all along and didn't know it. "Why… why did you do that? You didn't even know me."

He shrugged his shoulders. "My curiosity of humanity. I overheard you tell those machine children a human story, and I wanted to see if you had more knowledge. I didn't regret my decision when I saw the contents of your purse, and the original lie you told me was convincing enough." He explained. "And now knowing what you are… it's a strange sense of irony."

Lilia rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Since you're a machine, maybe you can answer this: that Searcher… you wouldn't know why it was after me do you? I mean, I was only here a few hours _at most_ before it showed up."

"No." He answered truthfully and shook his head. "Machines like that hold little appeal to me. I recall from the network data at the time was for it to capture you. No reason or drop off point."

Disappointment saturated her sigh before she said, "Yeah. My friend 9S said the same when he tried hackin' it. And it's weird that another one hasn't come at me again since then. We think whatever or whoever brought me here sent it after me."

Adam nodded. "It's a reasonable assessment. And it _is_ strange that another attempt at your capture hasn't has yet been attempted."

"Yeah, it _irks_ me like you wouldn't believe. Not complainin' though. I don't wanna run into another one of those anytime soon." Mentally shuttering at the thought. "Anyway, what of you? You say you're a machine... but you look like an android."

"It is... hard to explain..." he began, "The memories of that time are fuzzy and matters little. What I can say was that machines... gave birth to me. But then one became two. That part is clear. And it was your android friends that caused one to be two."

_Wait… does that mean…? Did 2B and 9S know this whole time? After I told them about him… why didn't they…?_ Lilia clenched her fists at the thought and a deep frown soured her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Shaking her anger simmering below her mind. "Just givin' myself a reminder to chew out two androids next time I see them."

A silver brow raised in curiosity as he asked, "'Chew out'? How will you do that? I don't think it's possible for them to fit in your mouth. Is this one of those human idioms?"

"Oh, um, yeah." A small blush formed on her cheeks at her lack of insight to a common phrase. "It means I'm gonna give them a _stern_ talkin' to."

"I see." Adam said while nodding he understood. "Makes me wonder why they continued to let you see me if they knew."

"Me too." She said before going back to her list of questions. "Anyway, you said 'one that became two'? You mean you and Eve? How did that happen?"

"Conflict." He responded simply.

"They... fought you?" A guess to what he spoke of. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I cannot fathom the answer. Why fight a creature born in front of them? Who was a blank slate at that? I will admit there was—I don't know how to describe it—the blades and gunfire hurt and I didn't know how to defend myself until I pushed back... and then—" A small smile formed on his face as he whispered, "I liked it. The tingles on my skin, learning to move to avoid their blades and Pod fire, and when I retaliated. I wanted to learn more—to _feel_ more."

An expectant and thrilled expression lit his eyes as he stared at her as he asked excited, "Do human's feel that way? Is that why you fight so much? Based on how exhilarating it was for me, I can see why."

"I... don't know Adam." She admitted. "I'm no expert on human behavior and I don't know how you guys function up there," she pointed to his head, "to guess."

A frown etched itself on his face in clear disappointment. "How is it you do not know? You are human."

Lilia looked away in apology and held his hand before she replied, "Being human... is a mess of a thing. We're more likely to crawl in the dark than walk in the light."

His brows pinched as he tried to make sense of what she said. Lilia felt his red eyes on her as she glanced back at him before she realized she used another idiom.

"Sorry. What I meant is we're more likely to be ignorant than knowledgeable of anything."

A loud snort and a wide smile inched on his lips. "I beg to differ."

She only shrugged and decided to change the subject off her species failings. "Well, I know why you call yourselves Adam and Eve. But… you realize that Eve is a woman's name, right? Why not call yourselves Cain and Abel?"

The silver-haired machine let out a hardy laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked with indignation.

"Eve asked the same." He allowed the last of his chuckles die before he explained, "It is how we were created that prompted our names. Eve knows his name is female."

"... And he's OK with it?"

Adam nodded.

_God you machines and androids are friggin' weird._ Lilia thought with a tinge of amusement.

She had to ask, "So… am I to assume that Eve came out of your rib?"

"In a sense." He replied. "I consider us the same entity because of it. Even though Eve thinks otherwise."

Lilia scratched the back of her head in thought. "Kinda hard to be the same entity when you two don't sound alike. I mean, based on what you've told me."

Adam pursed his lips before he somberly said, "We… are still one."

She noticed she hit a sore spot for the machine and she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean—"

"No. No, it's all right." He sighed deeply. "I know you meant nothing by it."

Not wanting to further upset the machine, she let the subject drop. Instead, moving on to safer territory.

"Isn't this a strange relationship we built for ourselves? I've always been told to be as honest as possible in a relationship. But we… lied about our true selves from the start. In a weird way… I'm kinda glad. I mean, it irks me like you wouldn't believe. But, if I had known you were a machine from the start I wouldn't have gone near you. Ya know, based on what I knew at the time."

Adam nodded in agreement. "As am I Lilia. It… wouldn't have ended well for you."

She turned to face him, confusion on her face. "What do you mean?"

Adam clenched his hands into fists and looked away from her. "It shames me to think of it."

"Adam?" Dread inching in her voice. "What do you mean by it wouldn't have ended well for me?"

Instead of answering, he reflected, "After the confrontation with the androids and searched through the network's archives, humans just… _fascinated_ me. I would scan through the data and archives repeatedly. I would read books that were still legible. Examine anything and everything relating to them. Humans obsessed me to the point of, well, 'madness' as it was referred to. And I… would have done _anything_ at all just to know more. _Nothing_ would have been off limits in my objective." His voice turned solemn and low, "Including… inflicting pain and suffering on the creatures I revered."

A gasp escaped her throat, and she clenched her staff tighter. Hazel-green eyes looked at him in horror. Unable to decide whether she should run or continue to hear him out from his admission. Even though it sounded as if he has thought otherwise from his original goal.

She took a deep breath and tried to be as brave as possible. Lilia knew compared to the machines, she stood little chance in terms of defense or trying to run. Had being witness to their strength and speed that were multitudes greater than her own and their non-human capabilities. She wasn't the apex predator in this situation, the scales tipping in the machine's favor.

The lump of dread that settled in her throat pressed to her stomach as she cautiously asked, "You sound as though you have changed your mind."

He nodded.

Not releasing her guard at his admittance. "How do I know you aren't lyin' to me?"

"I could say the same for you." He rebuked flatly. "You lied convincingly since I first met you. However, I… understand why. If you had told me at the beginning, I wouldn't have hesitated to capture and dissect you. But I—"

"But?" Her heart and body hopeful at his next words.

"I wouldn't be standing here with you. I wouldn't have learned anything about humans. My original plan… would have been fruitless. A complete failure. In that regard, you shall have no fear. I won't hurt you."

Her hazel-green eyes gave him a piercing look. "You still haven't answered my question."

A forlorn expression molded on his face and clenched his hands before he returned to their original position.

"I… have a confession."

Her brows furrowed but said nothing.

"My code… has changed."

Confused she asked, "Your… code?"

"Yes, I… You see…" Trying to find the words to best describe what he had learned about himself. "Before we met, my code—personality, program, whatever you need to describe it—differed from it is now. My original code was just that, my need to learn and dissect humans at whatever the cost. But then, as I started our rendezvous, a new code wrote itself. It was so slowly written that I didn't notice it.

"Over time it… started… messing—interfering or blocking—that original code. I don't know how it did so. Once… once you revealed who you actually are… the two codes… fought each other. And I… can no longer fulfill that original code."

She was silent for a few moments to process what he had said. "So, this… new code deleted the old one?"

He shook his head, "No. It's still there. The best way to describe it to you is that the old code is in solitary confinement."

Her eyes blinked in understanding. "Sounds like what an anti-virus program would do when it detects malware on a computer."

His silver brow crooked at what she said. "What?"

Her hand waved off his question as she blushed. "Oh, um, nevermind. But anyway, I understand what you are saying. So there's… no way for you to harm me?"

"No. The code won't allow it, and… I wouldn't want to if I didn't have it."

Lilia got up and walked moved away from him, closer to the stream. Her mind racing and jumbling at the information at Adam's admissions. The one thing she trusted and was certain of turned out to be a lie, and now he offered her the truth. She didn't want what he said now to be a lie, having enough with the uncertainty and sheets of lies with the world. Only wanting one piece that could give her some hope, some comfort.

_He could still hurt me._ She reasoned. _They lie like we can. He could still do it one day. Cut me up like a lab rat. But... those moments..._ The sensation of him kissing her, making her laugh, and giving her something to look forward to. Someone who she doesn't have to hide herself. _I cannot bare it if you are a lie, Adam._

The staff she clutched in her hand, clunked on the stream's stony bank when she let go. Unbuckling her dagger and knife belt from her waist. Any defense she discarded the moment of the metallic clink hitting the stones on her feet. Lilia was completely vulnerable. Maroon eyes watched her movements, curious and having trepidation. He got up and stood just a foot behind her.

"Adam… I need you to do somethin' for me." She turned and had the etchings of fear and acceptance in her eyes. Her warm hands reached out to his metal gauntlet hand, the red tips contrasting on the black leather. Muscles in her throat working as she placed his open hand around her delicate human throat. Holding on to his forearm to keep him there. "I need you… to squeeze."

Pink emanated from his pupils as his maroon eyes widened. His body tensed at seeing his dragon claw hand wrapping around her vulnerable throat and Lilia's demand for him to harm her. In a flash, his other hand clenched at her delicate wrist on her right arm. The gentle water flow and the clinks from the golden tags on his gloves the only sounds in the isolated river bank.

"No…"

"Why not? I—there is no one here to stop you. This is the only way I know you are tellin' me the truth. I need you to squeeze."

"You… you can't just… I—I am telling the truth! I can't—!"

"Squeeze Adam!" She yelled at his face. "This is what you wanted right? You wanted to know what humans were capable of? Nothing off limits, right? So squeeze you damn machine!"

Lilia could feel the trembles underneath her hands and see the stress on Adam's face of her demand. The bright pink luminescence from his pupils hurt her eyes, faint wafts of reddish smoke emitted from the visual sensor. She recognized his emotional stabilizers were working overtime, never seeing them glow so bright before. Despite being terrified, she continued to push.

"Well? C'mon! What's stoppin' you!?"

"Lilia-a-a…" His tenor voice digitized. "I c-c-can't… _won't_."

"I said squeeze you stupid bucket of bolts!"

At her last command, his body slacked and the stressed tension vanished. His eyes continued to glow in a dimmer fashion.

Silence fell.

A piercing, female shriek echoed the woods as his arm popped from its socket at the shoulder. Clear reddish liquid spurted from the wound, staining his pristine white shirt, along with sparks from the connection. Freaking at the arm Lilia held on to, she tossed it away. The gauntlet arm _thunked_ on the stony ground, the red liquid staining the dirt and rock. The disconnection sprayed her. Her heart hammering in her ears.

" _Adam!_ " She hollered. "What the—"

"System Code two-three-eight-five has been executed. Reformatting containment of System Code one-zero-zero-three. Containment confirmed." Adam said in a droning, digitized monotone. His eyes blazing a cold, pink glow. His face slack, lifeless and his body straightened stiff.

" _Adam!_ Adam I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to—!"

"Running diagnostics of Lilia safety protocols." He interrupted. After a few seconds he responded "Lilia safety protocols confirmed. No threats detected. System A.I. undergoing diagnostics and repair. Approximate repair time forty-eight minutes. Engage diagnostics and repair."

"Adam?"

"Machine Model three-four-one-one-zero-two-A. Codename: ADAM system A.I. is undergoing diagnostics and repair. Please wait."

_That's not Adam... what... what or who is this? Is this a back-up program? What have I done?_

She blinked at the statue still machine. "Who… am I talkin' to?"

"Lilia is engaging this System Unit's sub-code eight-seven-six-four. Primary function to stabilize system unit's higher cognition, memory, and emotions. Secondary function to run system unit diagnostics and repair to prevent damage to system unit's A.I." The machine explained in a digitized monotone voice.

_Is this… the 'machine part' of Adam's brain?_

"So… Adam is… asleep?"

"Negative. System Unit A.I. is temporarily offline."

"Isn't it… the same thing?" She asked.

"Negative. Sleeping in an indicator the System Unit is rejuvenating energy loss. System Unit A.I. is not rejuvenating loss of energy. System Unit A.I. is temporarily offline."

"Oh." Scratching her head at his answer. "Why… why did Adam…" Unable to finish her sentence, she pointed to his severed arm laying on the stony river bank.

The machine's head looked at the appendage in cold stoicism to his own missing arm before responding. "A confliction and heightened emotional stress in System Unit's code caused disconnection of right arm. It compromised original code one-zero-zero-three containment and threatened the new default primary code two-three-eight-five. Prompting a System Unit A.I. shutdown."

_Code containment... Adam said a code was contained a little bit ago._

Curiously she asked, "What… what are those code's functions?"

"Warning. Lilia does not have permission to access these files."

"Oh." Disappointment on her face. "Can't blame me for askin'. Anyway… how long until Adam comes, um, back online?"

"System Unit A.I. will be online in approximately thirty-seven minutes."

"Guess… I should make myself comfortable."

She walked toward the stacks of mossy boulders that dotted the riverbank and sat down on one. Hands raised so she could rest her head on them, she relaxed to watch the flow of the river and listen to the chirping birds and buzzing cicadas. Guilt muddled her mind over making Adam lose his arm, the reddish stains as evidence, which peppered her clothing. Maybe he could reattach it? Or, reabsorb it like she saw when he broke his old body.

_I hope he forgives me for what happened._ She thought melancholically. _I wouldn't blame him if he was angry with me. You're real_ stupid _Lilia for making him do that._

She then looked back at where Adam stood stark still and watched her. It shouldn't bother her, he watched her in the past. Shivers goosed down her spine just as she realized what unsettled her about his eyes, demeanor, and general self.

They were _lifeless_.

_Adam_ was lifeless.

With how advanced Adam and the androids she's come across and even to a degree the machines like Pascal it was easy to forget they were not flesh and blood beings. Even in her time the animatronics weren't advanced as they are now. They were close but not near where the line blurred and the distinction disappeared. Now as he stood before her with a near perfect replica of a human body but lifeless eyes and demeanor twisted her stomach.

_Jesus Christ this is fucking creepy._ She thought as shivers traveled her body again and glanced away.

The machine's footsteps crunched on the dirt and rocks sounded as he approached as he took a close stance next to her. Lilia kept her eyes on the stream and forest, she didn't want to look into those dead eyes. Not even when they trailed across her body, which made the hairs on her neck stand.

After a few minutes the stiff machine said, "Sub-code eight-seven-six-four has granted Lilia the necessary permissions to access requested files. Do you wish to continue?"

She blinked in surprise and dared to make eye contact with the machine. "Huh?"

The machine repeated, "Sub-code eight-seven-six-four has granted Lilia the necessary permissions to access requested files. Do you wish to continue?"

"Oh!" She realized what he was talking about. "Um, y-yeah."

"Original code one-zero-zero-three's default function: Dissect and analyze humans. End goal: To seek knowledge of human behavior to imitate them. Replaced by code two-three-eight-five. Default function: Establish necessary contact with the android named Lilia who has knowledge of human behavior and patterns. End goal: To seek knowledge of human behavior to imitate them. Modification to this code occurred once this System Unit learned Lilia was a human. The knowledge prompted a delayed conflict with code one-zero-zero-three and subsequent containment."

Lilia took a moment to digest what the machine said. "So… so Adam wasn't lyin'… he can't hurt me."

"Affirmative. System code two-three-eight-five and necessary heightened emotional responses will not allow this System Unit to jeopardize physical harm to Lilia."

Relief flooded through her body, but she also needed to know something else. "What… changed?"

"Insufficient data to respond. Please elaborate."

Lilia shook her head in self-depreciation, needing to remember she was talking to a 'machine' and not Adam per se. "What I mean is… is why would the new code, I guess, override the old one? Why was it more of a priority when they both accomplished the same goal?"

Minutes ticked by before the machine answered. "System Unit's emotional response to Lilia would be the best answer."

"Emotional response?"

"Affirmative. Clarification is needed.

"Hypothesis: If system code one-zero-zero-three had contained code two-three-eight-five dissection and experimentation on Lilia would occur to further the code's goal as per the System Unit's A.I. self-determining function. In doing so would cause a destabilization of sixty-five percent in this System Unit's A.I. caused by the emotional response this System Unit has with Lilia. A destabilization that magnitude would have three probable outcomes.

"Outcome one: Irreparable damage to System Unit's A.I. Outcome two: A permanent system and memory wipe. Outcome three: A System Unit self-destruct.

"The outcomes failed acceptable stabilization and preservation range. Thus, another outcome was hypothesized, a containment of one of the two codes. The factors of containing system code one-zero-zero-three had a higher chance of stabilization and preservation than the latter. No other anomalies or conflicts have arisen since containment."

"Then… that a good thing then?" She said distantly.

"Affirmative."

For the rest of the time until Adam's A.I. turned back on, Lilia and the machine waited in silence. Once Adam turned back on, he was understandably upset with her. She tried her best to explain herself to him. Although he accepted it, he was not pacified. She also told him what happened while he was out, he shrugged it off and gave him a "I told you so" look. It was easy enough for him to reattach his arm since the cause for the detachment had passed. That golden light he could make surrounded the area and after a few minutes, the arm was back to working again. The whole time he didn't look her in the eye.

"Adam… I really am sorry." She said mournfully.

Still not looking at her before he responded. "No… I understand your reasoning. And I don't blame you. Maybe I'm… just angry at myself for letting it come to that."

She shook her head. "No, don't say that. I should have known if you wanted to hurt me, you'd done it once you realized I was human." A self-depreciating sigh emitted from her mouth. "This whole friggin' world has got me paranoid."

"Lilia…" He said as he turned to face her.

She shook her head to dismiss his next word before she approached and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his lithe waist and pressing her head on his chest. A soft gasp emitted from the machine's throat. His body twitched and hesitated before, he too, returned the gesture. Even though there was a lack of warmth from his body, she could still feel the meaning and emotion behind it. Which was good enough for her.

"Forgive me?" she asked softly.

"Lilia…"

The silver-haired machine took his gauntlet hand to nudge her head up. Her glassy, hazel-green eyes melted his insides as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. A relieved sigh breathed out of her throat as she turned her head to gaze at him, a gentle smile on her lips. Without hesitation, she took the hint and stood on her toes while Adam leaned in to press a lingering kiss on her plump lips. The air between them stirring and the residual tension discarded into the wind.

Another type of tension vibrated into their being. The kind that shook the ground and sent electricity into the air. Both pairs of eyes looked at each other in apprehension.

Lilia swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. "What was… that?" As easily as possible, she lowered her heels and looked around them.

The machine's reddish eyes dimmed in their glow. A minute later, he spoke. "Well… this isn't good."

"Adam…" She asked again, dread in her voice, "What was that?"

"A massive EMP pulse approximately forty-eight kilometers or thirty miles south from us. And it was made… from Grün." He informed her.

"Adam… what's a 'Grün'?"

He turned his head toward the vibrations before he answered her. "A machine that was created three hundred and twenty years ago to end the machine-android war. The machines discarded it to the bottom of the ocean due to its instability. It's a few miles from shore right now. It appears it has made its way back."

Lilia swallowed nervously. "How… bad is it?"

"Considering it can emit an EMP that can eliminate android and machine alike for miles and it's over a thousand meters tall." He answered honestly.

_Oh god… is this… is this why 2B and 9S had to leave so suddenly yesterday? Why they seemed afraid?_

Her hands twitched at the dreaded thought of what would happen to them if such a machine isn't stopped.

_I know they're YoRHa soldiers, it's what we built them for. And this is the price non-combatants face when those who are soldiers get sent off. You know this for a fact Lilia. From what Adam said… this isn't some ordinary Goliath-class type machine._

The possibility of them not returning. Or, in their case, pieces of their memory missing. What if the EMP that thing makes is enough to destroy their whole data if they aren't protected? What will happen once it reaches shore?

_For Christ's sake! We felt that all the way over here!_

"I will help destroy it." He suddenly stated.

Familiar dread knotted her gut. "No!" she exclaimed.

Adam knotted his silver brows at her. "Grün is a danger to you Lilia. I am better equipped to face it. I promise to return."

_"I'm fightin' for you Lily. I'll be gone only a few more months. Just wait on me. We'll have a_ proper _wedding and honeymoon when I get back. I promise."_

A long-lost dream whispered in her mind as chapped lips kissed her cool ones from the winter air. The faint aroma of mint _Crest_ toothpaste and sandalwood shaving cream lingered on his mouth and cheeks. Warmth radiated from his smile which pulled on the scar on his left temple and his large, callused hands wrapped around her's as she reciprocated just as hard—just to hold on _one_ more second. Dark brown eyes twinkled in their depths; below lay the steel wrappings as he whispered his promise again. He gave a final kiss on her forehead—final in every sense of the word.

The image stayed with Lilia as he walked out of the base chapel in his uniform and carrying his duffle, leaving her with two witnesses, court approved papers, and a ring on her left hand glittering like the holiday snow falling from the gray Georgia sky.

Happiness and fear welled in her breast as she made the same promise.

"Besides," Adam's voice pulled her from long-ago memories as he continued, "I'll be an asset since I know the workings of that machine from the network."

"No!" she exclaimed. Her delicate hands clutching his shirt. "Don't go. I… I'm sure that YoRHa can handle it."

The machine puffed out through his nose. "I doubt they have any in depth knowledge of that machine. It _was_ built to kill them."

"And it killed machine alike to!" She exclaimed in a shout. "You said so yourself."

He nodded in affirmative. "True, however I can erect a shield that will stop the EMP from doing any damage. I'll be fine. I don't think those YoRHa units can do that."

"But—"

He put a finger on her lips to silence her. "Grün will harm you Lilia. It's close by and the EMP isn't healthy for you either. I'll go for my brother too. He needs protecting as well."

Fear paralyzed her as tears welled in her eyes. His hand caressed her cheek as he planted soothing kisses on her lips.

_"...for you Lily... I promise..."_ His voice echoed.

A cocky smile graced Adam's lips. "Don't be dramatic Lilia. I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

_Those were his words to. Before he—_ "God-fucking-dammit." She hissed out. "All right, just… just come back safely."

"Of course. Besides," he held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "we have so much to discuss."

The anxiety clawed at her. The background noise in her mind he might not come back gnashed at her. It was irrational, she acknowledged that. Adam was a machine that could be downloaded into another body. But the fear, the ancient, instinctual _fear_ of losing life at a battlefield was overwhelming to her. Grün is an inevitable fight being the threat it was. The mortality thoughts raced in her mind.

The cruel picture in her mind of him returning in parts concealed in a coffin.

Without thinking, she leapt up at him and placed a passionate kiss on his lips. For luck, for a promise to come back, to not do anything stupid. At the least, to not get _too_ maimed up.

Along with her promise to be brave and wait for him.

Just as she had to do so long ago.

"I might have to go into danger more often if you kiss me like that." He made a fox-sly grin as he cockily said that.

Lilia blushed and scoffed, "You're _terrible_."

Adam chortled at her, thinking she was being rather ridiculous and melodramatic.

"I'll be back as quickly as possible." He assured. "No need to fret."

He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before he backs away while he surrounded himself in teleporting light. Their hands briefly met before he vanishes, leaving her alone. With only the lazy flow of the stream, the yammers of the cicadas, the chirps and caws of the birds, the barking of the squirrels, and the ivy-riddled great oaks and pines for company. All uncaring to the utter loneliness she felt. Lilia's mind racing through a dark hole of doubt and anxiety.

_He'll come back. If… something happens… he'll just get another body and he'll come back. He'll tell me all about it too. And tell me how foolish I was for worrying. It_ won't _end like last time._

Lilia tried her best to convince herself even as the fathom touch of winter caressed her skin and old promises lingered in the air unfulfilled.

—xxx—

What the two love birds didn't realize is that another pair of red eyes watched them. A pair filled with loathing, jealousy, and seeping hatred.

The pair of eyes wasn't there for the whole sequence of their conversation, but the latter half. Lips sneering distastefully at how she could manipulate his twin. How he _looked_ at her. _Kissed_ her. It had been months since the last he saw _that android_. Now, looking at it at this moment, he is even _less_ impressed now than he was then. Even weaker, unimpressive, and frankly a filthy excuse of a sentient being than originally suspected.

_What makes that android so_ special _?_

His brows leered as he observed her waving that pole around. It looked methodical, like something a fight model would use. Although it was poorly and clumsily executed.

Then, a wicked idea came to mind. There she was all _alone_. No other android for miles—having all conjoined at the Grün battle far to the south. The machine village was miles away and posed no threat. His brother—who is _all_ he wanted out of this world—would likewise be occupied for a _long_ while. It would take time for his plan to formulate, but if it went well, he'd be rid of her and free his beloved twin from whatever hacks she put him under.

_Oh, dear, dear_ Lilia _… I have a special present just for you. Don't fret. I'll be right back._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long dialogue in this chapter, the pace quickens next chapter though.  
> And holy snap!--Only seven chapters left!


	11. Four Itchy Tasty

The rapid fire of machine guns and EMP blasts welcomed the silver-haired machine on his arrival at the sinking human settlement. Smoke produced by Grün's engines thickened the air and reduced visibility. Lesser machines surrounded the area; driven mad from corruption and by Grün's presence. He could see the dots of YoRHa Fighters whizzing the skies while firing at the lesser machines and hitting Grün. Their fire had no effect from the EMP shields deflecting the close-range attacks.

Grün itself hasn't made it to shore yet, his gigantic body still underwater, only it head visible above the surface. A battleship's remain are sinking on both sides of the body.

He received the cries of the machine across the network in its desperation to reconnect. The Goliath machine cried, "Mother! Mother!"

The silver-haired machine sighed with irritation at the A.I. built into it. No wonder it went berserk so many centuries ago.

_No matter. The crazed machine will soon find comfort in death._

Adam made quick bursts of his teleportation toward the machine. Before teleporting into battle, he read through the data on Grün and its construction to know to strike the EMP generators across its body. Without hesitation he attacked the exposed one on its back with energy blasts without mercy.

2B and 9S who were busy hitting the same EMP generator as him.

"2B! It's that machine!" He overheard the teen android shout.

Their advances and attempts at hurting him are the last of his considerations. Even as Adam grew irritated they missed he was helping them and _not_ attacking.

"I'm not here to fight you!" He yelled through the chaos. Without hesitation, he teleported away to dodge a strike from 2B while shooting a blast of energy at the EMP generator core. It broke with a satisfying _boom_.

A beeping sound followed by a voice over a Pod intercom. "Confirmed elimination of the electromagnetic interference. Stand by for incoming satellite laser strike."

"That won't disable it!" Adam interjected.

But, it was too late. A laser beam shot from the sky and hit Grün, but the machine only deflected the powerful shot into the surrounding water.

"It has an electromagnetic barrier across its whole body you fools!" He yelled at them. "Destroy those damn generators!"

Once again, he teleported away from the two androids. With the data he collected from the network on Grün, he knew there were several generators on its belly, but he had to figure out how to make Grün stand? Seconds later, more YoRHa Fighters arrived. They paid more attention to firing at Grün than him.

_They all want to die, don't they?_ He thought with an ounce of sarcasm.

_BOOM!_

Mortar fire came from the shore. The blast impacting Grün in the face. That's it!

He teleported to where the mortar shot origin. The androids 2B and 9S worked the weapon.

"Hit it in the mouth!" He commanded them.

Their swords flashed at Adam, having realized that he was there and none too happy to see him.

"I'm not here to fight you." He stated at them again.

"Why are you here?" 2B asked in a strained tone.

"To protect her," he replied cryptically. "Now, shoot the mortar into its mouth!"

After a moment of hesitation, 2B aimed the cannon, while 9S kept an eye on him. It took only a second for the mortar cannon to fire again. Her shot rang true. The impact sucker punched the machine. Flames and heavy smoke rose from the inside of Grün's mouth.

Adam could hear the rage from the machine from across the network. The water receded as the Goliath machine stood. In doing so, revealing the EMP generators across its body. The electrical bits of code attempting to get into the network. It offered a brief glimpse into Grün's next attack.

"Get your shields ready!"

The next second, it emitted an EMP from the giant machine.

_WHooP! WHooP!_

It banged without mercy against his shield. And the two androids. One of its long arms raised—

"We gotta bail 2B!"

They ran as he teleported away.

He made a series of teleports at Grün. The unprotected YoRHa Fighters sunk to the bottom of the ocean. He assaulted the generators on its belly; Adam heard of the explosions on the back where the others met the same fate.

Fire. Fire. Dodge. Slash _! BOOM!_

At the second generator he picked up a loud _woosh_ from behind him. He turned to see what it was.

_Oh shit!_ Was his last thought before the human-made missile hit Grün in the mouth. A shield erected—Kur-kur— _BOOM! ba-BWOOOooooM!_

—but shattered once the shock wave compressed. Fire blinded him. His vision went black.

A worried frown greeted him. Tender, hazel-green eyes met his own, sadness lurking below their depths. Her words forced as she hesitated to say, _"All right, just... just come back safely."_

He didn't understand at the time why she fretted, but now...

_Lilia... I promise..._

The blast sent the machine _flying_ at an odd angle towards land. His sensors scrambled from the force. Heat generated burned patches of his clothes.

The _froom-froom_ of shrapnel _cut_ into his clothes and skin. Was there another thrown as he?

Secondary explosions cracked the air from the massive machine. The atmosphere sucked inward.

Self-preservation codes assessed with the last of consciousness to erect a barrier. A _whoosh_ of green, tree bark and the hard _thud_ of his body colliding with dirt. The impact shattered the barrier. The rest of his body absorbed the rest of the g-force from the collision. A long slide as his lower back. Legs slammed on a tree. His upper body whipped around the tree trunk. A swing of his legs before stopping. His shocked face banged on the dirt and tall grass.

The fierce impact knocked out his sensors. Only the cold, calculating drive of the network remained. A faint whirr of code, commands, and assessments as white noise.

The click-clicking of his body self-repairing became a steady, harmonious sound. If he could concentrate hard enough the sense of the wires popping back into their proper place. His exoskeleton remained undamaged; thanks to the barrier erected at the moment of the explosion that absorbed most the g-force. However, his carbon composite skin either had tears or blemishes on his right side of his body from landing on the hard dirt.

Adam wasn't sure how long he was out, but by the time he woke up, the sun was beginning to set. With great care, he made himself stand and tested out his motor functions, which passed inspection. He sighed with annoyance noticing his glasses had broken and the right side of the frames split. He dropped them onto the ground before surveying woods he landed from the explosion.

It was a wooded landscape similar to the one he met Lilia in, with tall oaks and pines covered in ivy. Dense grass and foliage covered the ground. The ground where he slid from the force of the explosion created a long gash in the dirt at least three hundred yards long and five feet wide. The great oak he hit had severe damage to the bark from the impact.

Golden-orange hues overlaid the sunken city in the last light of the day until morning. The once blue sky was now a bright reddish-orange that gradated to a dull purple. Golden-yellow clouds peppered the sky as the last cries of seagulls echoed throughout the shore. The buildings themselves reflected the sun's light in a deep saturated gold, giving them a brilliant radiance despite their half-demolished state. The once vibrant blue of the salty sea was now a dull gray-green with lines of faded orange at the top of the wave crests. Bright oranges reflected the sun's path in wide lines. Where Grün lay defeated had the scattered remains of its oversized machinery and exoskeleton. Its body found company with the ruins sinking into the ocean.

_O little one, go find your mother in the afterlife and better friends._ He thought with solemnness to the poor child forced to fight and hated everything as a result. _Poor broken little machine._

As he was going to teleport, he heard a groan behind him. Curious, he investigated. Ten meters from where he landed was one of the YoRHa Fighters in its "mech" mode. The body and limbs torn and sparked from its own impact with the earth. In the casing was that if the android 9S. He was conscious, injured, and none too pleased to see him.

"Well, what do we have here?" Adam said to the teen android, crossing his arms; smugness in his demeanor.

"Get the hell away you damn machine!" The android snapped as he approached. "Pod—!"

"Now, there's no need for that." Adam said to him in an even flat tone.

"S-stay back machine!"

"I considered it." He told him in a bored tone. "However, I have a friend who would be displeased if she learned I left you here."

"I don't need your help! And you—you stay away from Lilia!" 9S blurted out.

Adam huffed at the damaged android. " _Humph_. You're not in any shape to tell me what to do little android. And why should I stay away from her? She's capable of deciding all on her own."

A thought came to mind. How did this android know who his 'friend' was? Lilia had talked of 9S and 2B, so it stood to reason she, in turn, told them of him. If that were the case, it wouldn't be out of the question if they weren't—keeping tabs since he and the androids weren't the best of friends.

Adam tested his hypothesis. "But... I guess... you know we have been spending time together, haven't you?"

9S cringed.

_Hit a sore spot, haven't I?_ "You and the other android have been spying, haven't you? Funny how you two haven't stopped our meetings or told her I'm a machine."

"When she finds out—!"

"She already knows. And I know who she is too." Adam revealed.

"You—!" Shock overcame the android's face, unable to find the words needed.

Then, his Pod piped up, "9S needs to remember the mission statement of the Commander."

"I'm well aware Pod!"

_Oh, isn't this interesting? A nice little weave these androids have been doing in their spare time._

Adam chuckled, taking a wild guess at what the Pod spoke of. That hypothesis he kept to himself, a much bigger worry on his mind. "But don't worry, I won't hurt her. Or else we wouldn't be having this conversation. Nor would I have assisted with defeating Grün. She's the reason I was there. After all, he presented a danger to her.

"Now," he continued, annoyance growing in his mind, "do you want my help or not? I must get back to her, I promised to return to our meeting spot as soon as Grün is defeated. I do not wish for her to worry longer than necessary."

9S gritted out, "I don't need your help!"

"Are you certain?" Adam said as he raised a brow, doubting the little android's capability. "These woods have machines driven mad with a corruption. They will consume easy prey such as yourself in seconds. And I think you should see Lilia for yourself."

"Enemy machine has made valid points 9S." His pod droned out. "Lilia's safety is the top priority."

The little android made a surprised face at the pod's suggestion. After a moment 9S said, "Pod if he tries anything funny you are to shoot."

"Affirmative."

Adam nodded. "Good. Now that's out of the way."

He then removed the bits of the Fighter that refused to budge, bending and breaking the alloy metal resulting in freeing the reluctant and paranoid android. Once released, Adam grabbed him by the collar; the machine glanced at the android's right leg which had sustained wounds. On inspection the leg appeared broken but not fatal. The silver-haired machine groaned as he lifted the less-than-pleased android before he teleported to where he left Lilia.

She wasn't there.

Strung through the river bank were her possessions as if thrown. Craters and welts dug up the rocky ground from a large and heavy impact. 9S saw the same signs and knew something was wrong. The difference between them, 9S thought Adam was the cause.

"What game is this?! Where's Lilia you _psycho!?_ " The distraught teen android shouted at him.

Adam dropped 9S on the ground.

"Ow! What the—!" The teen android growled though the pain of the sudden drop to the ground and the throb in his broken leg.

Dread and panic knotted in a tight ball in the machine's chest. His usual stoic red eyes glowed a dangerous pink. In a digitized voice he commanded to the paranoid android, "I don't have time for you! I need to find Lilia! Stay here."

_ACTIVATE SEARCH ENGINES_

_!WARNING!_

_DETECTED: Signs of a struggle._

_SCAN:_

_> Large Impacts On Ground_

_> Gashes 20 Centimeters Within Ground._

_> Gashes On Stream Bank Rocks._

_> Gashes Within Trees._

_> Foot Prints Indicate Unknown Target Is Bipedal With Curved Rectangle Feet_

_> Estimated Weight 362 Kilograms._

_> [Target: LILIA] Items Remain._

_HYPOTHESIS: Unknown Target Is a Bipedal Machine That Is Hostile. More Than Likely Machine Model 20056 CODENAME: Medium Biped._

_CHECK: Network Connection To Machine..._

_> Negative. Machine Disconnection._

_!WARNING!_

_[Target: HOSTILE] Corruption Detected. Caution Advised._

_[Target: LILIA] Foot Prints CONFIRMED._

_> HIGHLIGHT [Prints]_

_> ETC: 136 minutes 26 seconds._

_DIRECTION: 142 Degrees South South East._

_[Target: HOSTILE] Foot Prints CONFIRMED._

_> HIGHLIGHT [Prints]_

_DIRECTION: 142 Degrees South South East._

_OBJECTIVES:_

_> Objective 1: Follow [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: None Available_

_> Objective 2: Enable Safety Protocols Of [Target: LILIA]_

_> >Status: None Available_

_> Objective 3: Annihilate [Target: HOSTILE]_

_> >Status: None Available_

_FAILURE PROTOCOLS:_

_> None Available..._

_> None Available..._

_> None Available..._

_OBJECTIVE_ _CONFIRMATION:_

_> Accept._

_UNIT DATA BACKUP REQUIRED:_

_> Accept._

_!WARNING!_

_Machine Model 341102-A. Codename: ADAM Emotional Stabilizers Activated._

_> Enhancing Motor Systems To New Maximum._

_All Systems Are GO._

—xxx—

Booted feet stepped on tall grass and dead leaves favoring one foot more than the other. The left ankle throbbed in the shoe encasing it. Hands gripped her metal staff so tight the knuckles turned white, desperate for support. Blood dripped from her right arm from her shoulder to her elbow. She had sacrificed the bottom half of her shirt to tie around the limb to stop the profuse bleeding, using the knife strapped to her belt to cut it in strips. Adrenaline in her bloodstream slowed as an uneasy sense of dread unfolded in her.

Lilia didn't know where she was in the vast forest and it was getting dark.

She had been fleeing a crazed machine for a long while. As she waited for Adam at their campsite late-afternoon a large, crazed machine with menacing, glowing red eyes ran into the camp. The machine attacked her without provocation and incoherent screaming wanting to eating her. Lilia escaped as she fled into the vast woodlands with the machine hot on her heels. She used the cover of trees to dodge the large machine, only having brief intermissions to catch her breath before resuming running for her life. The machine hit the trees in a frenzy and made gasping sounds of breathing while rambling its need to feast on her.

It was during this time, in her panic, she sprained her left ankle on a hidden log in dense grass. Her movements slowed, Lilia agonizing over the pain and keeping herself from falling due to exhaustion. In a bid to survive she tricked the insane machine into getting stuck between two great oaks as it leapt at her. The machine's crazed insanity being its downfall as it reached for her but unable to do so.

As she limped away she gloated, "Get fucked ya hunk'a scrap!"

But now the immediate danger of consumption by that thing had passed, she now faced new problems. With no idea where she was and darkness soon approaching she had no flashlight to help. Not only that, she needed her injuries treated. She faced a high risk of infection on the gaping cut on her arm, plus the swelling and pain on her ankle was excruciating. For intents and purposes, she was now an easy meal to any predators within the woods both organic and, now, machine alike.

Lilia took a moment to rest against a tree to think on what to do next and calm herself. While her heartbeat evened a new sound came into her ears. It was a faint 'eeeee' sound followed by a pop. She listened again.

Then it dawned on her.

_Fireworks! The amusement park must be nearby!_

With haste, she scanned the sky through the thicket of the tree tops. The darkness approaching aided her search for the popping explosions. Once she spotted the flaring lights, she headed in that direction. The hope of getting help renewed her energy to fight exhaustion and grit through the pain on her ankle.

_Once I get to the park, I'll have one of the machines take me to the twins._

As she made her way to the amusement part, dread knotted a hard lump in her gut—

_Kur-crump!_

_Thunk!_

"Want..."

_Pop!_

"... Eat..."

_Snap!_

"Meat..."

Her breathing turned ice-cold as she dared to turn behind her. In the distance, bobbing between the blackened trees, were the twin red orbs named 'Suffering' and 'Death'.

_Thum-thump! Thum-thump! Thum-thum!_

Tired, achy, needing, wanting to live. Feet limping as fast as possible. Her body's muscles working to launch her forward.

_Weeeeeeuuurrmp!_

The machine launched itself at her. The hooked hand slashed at her back. Red ran from shoulder to shoulder. Her piercing scream echoed in the thicket. Her body fell to the bed of leaves. Frantic, she turning to face the mechanical demon.

She swung her staff at the machine—knocking it in the face. Undeterred, the machine lunged its hooked hands trying to tear apart at her ribs. Lilia raising her staff vertical above her—catching the hooked hands on the opposite ends. The crazed machine pushed. Her body strength failed in her defensive stance as it pressed on her throat, choking her. She scrambled to kick the machine off her delicate neck. Her puny human body had little effect; eyes throbbing from the pressure and lack of oxygen.

It ended with her piercing scream, the crunch of bone, and the tang of iron in the air.

The machine giggled with glee, "Umm... tasty... more!"

—xxx—

The silver-haired machine picked a scream along with a faint sound of a crunch. His pumping legs working to meet the sounds. He knew Lilia sustained injuries and bled. She had been on the run from a corrupted machine for a couple of hours.

He made visual contact. It was on top of her, Lilia kicking it in desperation.

He wasted no time to fire an energy blast. Another crunch and scream filled the forest. A tang of iron filled the night air. The energy blast incapacitated the machine and sent it flying off her. It cracked with a satisfying twist of metal against a great oak. Its body sparking and unmoving. Adam rushed to Lilia's side.

Blood seeped from her left hand. It had bitten two of her fingers off, the forefinger and middle. The sight made Adam see the pale bone and deep redness of her flesh and blood. It sickened him and brought forth new protective urges coursing his body. Her right arm wrapped in strips from her shirt. It too, reddened from her blood.

"Lilia! Lilia!" He cried out as he slid to her side. As he began lifting her up, then noticing her back was bleeding from another deep gash. His arm sticky with blood and dirt.

Tears ran from her eyes as she huffed, "The... twins... they—" Sentence unfinished, she turned her head and the contents of her stomach spewed on the forest floor. Her bronze skin paling. Her body twisting with the force of her dry heaves. A cool sweat dotted her forehead.

_Twins?_ Adam scanned through his memories. Then, he realized she must be talking of her 'caretakers' at the android Resistance camp. However, she needed immediate medical attention, and she looked horrific from her wounds.

"Lilia! I—I must teleport!" He exclaimed.

Adam adjusted her within his arms before making that split-second connection outside the Resistance camp. In an instant they were there. Lilia shouted and groaned from the teleportation as she clutched her stomach, gasped for breath, and tears welled in her eyes. It knotted his chest to see her in such deep pain. He steeled himself as he sprinted inside the camp.

Adam shouted, "Where are the twins?! Lilia needs help!"

The whole camp fixed their eyes on the intruder, stopping whatever they were doing. Two pink-haired twin androids came out of a medical tent, their green eyes in shock at seeing Lilia in such a state.

"Shit!" Cursed the wavy-haired one. "Quick! Into the back room!"

They guided him to the back end of the camp, all three hurried into the private space. The same android burst open the door before he and her twin walked through before shutting the door behind him.

"Set her on the bed!" The straight-haired one commanded.

From there they pushed him out of the way. The twins arranged pillows with android swiftness to lift her legs and still lay her flat on the mattress while keeping her mangled hand up.

"Lilia!" Exclaimed the wavy-haired one. "Where's the medical kit we gave you?"

"My... room..." She groaned out, her voice hoarse and ragged.

"At Pascal's village, yes?"

Lilia nodded.

She whipped around to turn her attention to him, "You! I don't know who you are, but you know her. Go to the pacifist village in the forest and get that kit. Go get it! Now!"

"I—"

"Shut it! Get that damn kit now! It's orange with a red cross on it." The android commanded again in an even harsher tone.

Confliction knotted his circuitry, desperation welled within his chest. He wanted to stay by Lilia's side, but he knew the errand he was being sent to was important.

"Please... Adam..." His human rasped out. "Please..." Her uninjured hand caressed his in a silent plea.

His throat constricted as he nodded and teleported.

—xxx—

The twins stared in shock as the machine left them in a golden light. But, recovered to the immediate priority of treating Lilia's wounds.

"Lilia listen to me!" Devola implored her. "We have to stanch the bleeding. And that ointment will not cut it for this wound. We have to cauterize it."

Lilia's eyes widened at the prospect. "Oh God! Oh God!" She said gritting through her teeth.

Popola continued to keep her wounded hand raised and squeezed it at the wrist, trying to stop the blood flow. Her delicate, android hand staining with Lilia's human blood. The twins nodded at one another as Devola left the room in a haste, slamming the door behind her. Lilia tried her best to calm herself even though the tears coming out of her eyes said otherwise.

Less than a minute later, Adam had returned, the kit within his hands.

"Good! Good!" Said Popola. "Set it on the table by the bed and open it."

Immediately performing the task twin commanded him. Adam waited for more instructions in shocked haze. His face a stone mask to hide the panic swirling underneath.

"Now, I need you to hold her like I'm doing. Keep pressure on her wrist. I need to glove up and prep." She explained in a calm tone.

His throat constricted as he walked to the left side of the bed to do as asked by the pink-haired twin. Lilia placed a gentle hand on his forearm, feeling the black leather. In her own way, without words conveying she was all right even if scared. He looked her in the eye, the pink blazing in his shocked eyes. He couldn't bear looking at the serious injury to her hand. They communicated to each other in silence while Popola washed and gloved her hands. When she finished, Popola took out bandages, gauze, saline, and ointment out of the medical kit.

While that happened, Devola returned. In her hands was a metal container, more bandages, and gauze. With android swiftness, she set the items on the table next to the medical kit before washing her own hands and gloved. She joined her sister on the left side of the bed and assisted her twin with cleaning the wound with the saline solution and a clean towel. Lilia hissed at the movements to her hand, trying not to think of them seeing the inside of her fingers.

"OK, Lilia." Popola said in a soothing gentle voice. "Devola is going to use silver nitrate to cauterize the wound. It may sting a bit."

_That's what they all say!_

"Adam!" She exclaimed as she tightened her hold on his arm. She watched Devola open the metal container and pull out a wooden stick with a dark gray substance at the tip within her hand. Lilia squeezed her eyes shut.

Lilia felt the sting a few seconds later. Her teeth gritted as she groaned in pain as the chemical burned at the wounds. Her hand clenching harder at Adam's arm. Those few seconds were the longest. Then, it began again as Devola got another silver nitrate stick and repeated the motion with the half-missing middle finger. Her breath ragged as her body coped with the blood loss and the pain from the chemical burn. Opening her eyes, the twins applied a thin layer of healing ointment and sterile gauze to her wounds before wrapping the fingers and hand in linen. Popola motioned to Adam to let go of her wrist. The pressure no longer needed. He did as asked. Lilia noticed his hands were shaking and the whole time his face became a stone mask.

"Adam..." Lilia whispered to him. The gentle tone pulled his eyes away from her wounded hand to meet her's eyes. A faint detection of softness eased into his features.

"OK." Said Popola. "Now the big injury is taken care of, we need to treat your other wounds."

Lilia relayed to them her injury to her back and her twisted ankle since they couldn't see them. They set to task on her wounds, silence filled the room as they worked. Her back being the second toughest, considering the location and having Adam to support her injured hand to keep it raised. They removed her shirt and the slice from the machine claw had torn the straps of her bra. The abashed human used the blanket to cover herself at the removal of those articles of clothing.

Devola used silver nitrate sticks at locations on her back that continued to bleed. Then applied the healing ointment and bandaging it up before setting her to lay flat on the mattress. The twins split chores afterward; Devola to her arm and Popola to her ankle. Adam stayed on the left side of the bed to let Devola work, kneeling beside Lilia.

It was hard for Lilia to look at her mangled, bandaged hand. Her brain knew it was missing two fingers, but her nerves—she felt—those two fingers move. She could recognize the sensation as the fingers caressed the side of Adam's stoic face even through the layer of gauze and bandages. It greatly disturbed her. The disconnect between what she saw and her body's nerve memory.

Hesitation in Adam's eyes as he touched her bandaged hand as if it were thin, delicate glass not flesh and bone. His reddish eyes softened to gaze at her; pink flashing beyond the pupils.

He murmured, weak with soul crushing ache, "I am... so sorry..."

Tears welled in Lilia's hazel-green eyes. "Adam... don't..."

The pink-haired twins exchanged a silent glace at each other. In the middle of the twin's treatment, 2B burst into the room who formed a battle-ready stance at the sight of Adam.

"You!"

Lilia shook her head at her, needing to stifle the aggressiveness that 2B projected. "No! No fightin'! He's all right!" She blurted out to her.

"But he's—!"

At this point Devola interjected, none too happy at the impending confrontation which involved a seriously injured patient who was in the middle of treatment. "You heard her! No fighting in here! Now, what the hell do you want?"

Confliction rattled 2B's mind, unable to formulate words before she informed, "I—I need a scanner to locate faint black box signals."

"To locate your friend, yes?"

2B and Lilia looked Adam.

"I know where he is." He continued. "He's where you two play peeping tom."

Surprise painted across the android's face. "How—!"

"He admitted as much and I suspected. Now go. He suffered injuries, but they aren't fatal."

"Go 2B. I'll be all right. Help 9S." Lilia assured her android friend.

"But he's—"

A weak shake of Lilia's head stopped the agitated android from speaking. "Go help 9S... please." She insisted, worry over her friend in need at the forefront of her thoughts.

The twins gave the party a perturbed expression. However, it was Devola who interjected, "I don't know what you guys are talking about, but if you want to help 9S, you best get going. Popola will give you the scanner. We'll be watching over Lilia. Now, get out. She needs rest." There was no wiggle room with her in the finality of her tone.

Lilia noticed how 2B pursed her lips and struggled to comply. In a slow ease, she did as she left with Popola. The trio that remained in the room fell into silence. Only the sound of Devola continuing her treatment of the gash on Lilia's right arm. By the time she had finished the last wrap, her twin emerged from the camp. In her hand was a bag of ice-water. The straight-haired twin placed the bag on her swollen ankle.

"Phew!" Lilia exclaimed. "That's cold!"

A soft smile graced Popola's lips. "Yeah, I would guess so. You won't be walking on this foot for several days, at least until the swelling goes away. Mind telling us how you got so banged up?" She asked with curiosity and concern.

An irritated sigh escaped Lilia's mouth at the thought. "Short version? A crazy machine that wanted to eat me."

Devola made a heavy frown at the brief description while she was busy cleaning the table of medical supplies. "A rampage machine? But that's not possible!" She shook her head in disbelief. "The Resistance eliminated them in those woods. It's one reason we thought it safe for you to forage and travel through by yourself when you left for the village."

Lilia shrugged, exhaustion creeping in her bones. "Well... guess they missed one. And just my luck to have run into it."

Adam spoke with heavy regret, "You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had stayed with you. Or had you go back to the village."

Once again, Lilia caressed his cheek in a soothing manner. Her hazel-green eyes and voice gentle as she insisted, "Adam... it's not your fault. I'm just glad you found me when you did. Prolly would've lost more than two fingers. Well... one and a half fingers." Without hesitation, she changed the subject to distract him from his feelings of worthlessness. Curiosity burning at the back of her mind. "Anyway... where did you leave 9S? You said, 'where they play 'peepin' tom'... what... did you mean by that?"

Adam upturned his lips into irritation and disgust. "I think... you know what I mean by that."

It took her tired brain a few minutes to piece together what he was trying to say. She assumed he was being cryptic to keep their business to themselves because of their audience. Even though that didn't stop him from showing affection.

_'Peeping tom'... have 2B and 9S... been...?_

A hard blush formed across her cheeks as it dawned on her. "Adam..."

"Yes?"

"Remind me to beat the hell outta 2B and 9S will ya?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just be sittin' here eating popcorn. Muhaha! And it was nice doing research on how doctors cauterize wounds, the youtube videos were nice. It makes me laugh that people are queasy at that kinda stuff.
> 
> And that little tip of the hat though!


	12. My Little Lily

An early gray light shines through a lonely window, giving a melancholic atmosphere to the small room. Faint chatter of androids going through their daily routine trickled through the concrete barrier. The room itself had the odor of medical supplies and dry blood. One of the two beds cradled a sleeping form of a human woman. Her right hand grasping the stoic face of a silver-haired machine in tenderness. Whom was in his own version of sleep as he sat on the cool floor and hunched over the side of the bed. Even in his sleep, he listened to the calming sound of her heartbeat and even breaths of her lungs.

A thin, off color blanket covered Lilia to cover her partial nudity, but in her dazed sleep had pushed it to her waist. Sleep was restless for the human woman. Her breathing hitched, tighten her hold on the silver-haired machine, and murmur as her eyes darted behind lids throughout the night. This caused Adam to wake and check on her. Out of tenderness, he pulled the blanket up to cover her. Even though he couldn't help but steal a glance at something so human—feminine—such as the swell of her breasts and the dark nipples. A brief thought came to mind of touching the mounds but dismissed it and returned to his original pose to fall back asleep.

Movement came from a pink haired twin who walked in stealth to not disturb the wounded woman. She had left minutes before to return with a fresh bag of ice water. The petite twin placed the icy compress on Lilia's swollen ankle. It had reduced through the night thanks to the fifteen-minute intervals every three hours the twin did. Unfortunately, those periods caused Lilia to wake, only to fall fast asleep minutes later. Only once did she shot up during a time of restless dreaming muttering of being eaten. It took Adam's even voice to calm her so she could continue resting.

This time when the twin placed the ice-water compress was no different. However, Lilia yawned instead of going back to her dreams.

Lilia, half-asleep, groans out, "G'mornin'." Then, rubs tired hazel-green eyes with her hands. The rough bandages on her left hand gave her a rude reminder. "Oh..."

Her machine counterpart murmured, "You should rest more."

She yawned again while stretching her body. "I'm... all right... slept OK. Even though someone kept nudgin' me awake with an ice pack."

Popola frowns at her comment and retorted, "Reducing inflammation on your ankle is important."

A series of chuckles came from Lilia's throat. "I know. How's it look?"

"Not too bad." She answered. "The swelling has reduced and mild bruising is present. Prolly later today we'll use bandages to compress it. It'll be a couple days before you can walk by yourself. Feel any pain?"

"Just when I try to move it." Lilia replied.

"That's good then."

It was at that moment Lilia's human nature came. Her stomach made a loud growl at being empty and demanded food. A deep flush formed on her cheeks. Reminded that it had been over twelve hours since her last meal and _that_ got spewed on the grassy woodland ground.

Popola smiles. "Good to see that part of you hasn't changed."

Lilia groaned at her remark.

Popola informed, "Well you're in luck. Two fighters caught a moose this morning to use its hide."

Her twin then added, "I'll see if I can't cut up the meat for you."

"Wait... wouldn't that be suspicious?" She asked with mild concern.

The wavy-haired twin crossed her arms and explained, "You weren't here for long, but it isn't unheard of for us older android models to eat. We do it a few times a year to help our bio-fuel replenish. Although, we don't have to go the added steps you otherwise need to do. Or, the insane frequency you need to do so. I'll just tell them that excuse if I get questioned. No one will comment."

"Although, we have wondered," Popola interjected, "about this android that came with you." She said alluding to Adam. "He knows?"

Lilia swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at Adam. He looked at her with his usual calm facade, waiting for her reply to the twins. Thoughts running through her head.

_They don't know he's a machine. I guess... to avoid complications, I should go along with their assumption. He passes for one at least._

"Yeah. He does. Long story."

Adam cocked his head at her answer and gave a flash of a grin. It was just a quirk at the corner of his mouth.

"We figured as much." Devola said. She shifted her feet and looked as though she contained a curiosity.

_Oh, you two just don't realize it._

"But, why did 2B want to attack him?" Popola asked concerned.

_Oh, shit. Um..._

Adam saved her on that one, "I've had scuffles with them." He waved his right hand at her in annoyance. "2B and 9S I mean. Internal dispute between us."

Lilia sighed and nodded, deciding to play along with his lie. Even though she disliked doing so to the twins, they both gave enough of the truth without revealing the depth of their relationship. She suspected that the twins noticed it at any rate. Along with keeping Adam's machine heritage a secret. Lilia wasn't stupid. She knew the Resistance androids believed the machine-android war was still ongoing. Because of that fact, the inevitable hostilities toward Adam is something she wanted to avoid. Further complicating matters is his high-level access of the alien's network, a result is a high head-price if his identity became known among the Resistance. After all, he wasn't Pascal and the other passive machines at the village and amusement park. Although Lilia learned the truth concerning the alien's fate, and that knowledge was more than likely being kept secret by YoRHa.

It was just another thing she had to confront 2B and 9S on their next meeting. They investigated that alien signal a couple months back and learned of the alien's fate. She needed to understand why. What was the point of the secrecy?

_Christ, it was just two nights ago I found out about this shit. It's too early in the morning for these thoughts._

Devola hums at Adam's excuse. "Well, it's YoRHa business then. Anyway, I'll get your food along with some water." With that said, the twin left the three.

Lilia sighed as she looked at the ceiling. "Well... never had moose before, better than all the fish I've been eatin' at least."

"Well, while she's gone, I'll check your other wounds." Popola said as she removed the ice-water bag from her ankle and set it on the desk by her bed. "I'll be right back with more bandages and gauze."

With that proclamation, Popola left the room. Thus, leaving Adam and Lilia alone. For a moment they were silent as they looked at each other. Then, Adam raised himself to sit on the side of the bed. His heavy, metallic weight dipping the mattress, and his right gauntlet arm cupped Lilia's face. The calm expression on his gave difficulty to read as his eyes trailed to her neck. For a second his red eyes hardened before softening again as they gazed back at her. His intention a second later became evident as he leaned and planted a tender kiss on Lilia's lips. She sighed and returned the tender ministration. The wounded hand she had ran across his right shoulder, caressing with two unbandaged fingers. Then, the side of his back. The sensation of torn cloth and his exposed metal exoskeleton gave her pause. Worry etched on her face as she stopped kissing him.

"I'm all right." He responded, cutting off her words and removing her prying hand. "Just minor scratches. The skin will repair itself in a few days."

"That's not minor!" She implored. " _Christ_ , I felt metal!"

He _humphed_ at her. "I'm fine Lilia. I can take... more of a beating than you can. Besides, those two looked at it and cleared me while you were asleep."

That silenced her despite instinctual protests.

Adam noticed her worried eyes and added, "As long as my exoskeleton remains undamaged there won't be any side effects. Which it isn't. Like I said, the skin will repair itself in a few days."

Lilia sighed and looked away embarrassed. "I'm sorry..."

He shook his head in dismissal. "Don't be. It's... understandable considering..." An idea came to mind as he turned his back so she could see. Then, lifted that part of the haggard shirt up from the shoulder. "See? My exoskeleton is fine."

Hazel-green eyes widened in shock at the wound. But, it was as he said. She could see the metal exoskeleton which was undamaged—if blemished—underneath the torn skin on his right side of his back. The exoskeleton was a stark contrast to his milky skin tone. A dark gray color and shined in the light. On examining the wound was disturbing on an instinctual level because in the back of her mind it was registering as a grave injury prone to infection and needed immediate medical attention. Along with her previous experience.

However, she couldn't help but have a morbid curiosity. She raised her uninjured, right hand and touched the afflicted opening, tender in her explorations. Afraid that if she wasn't careful, she'd hurt him. Lilia skimmed across the torn skin and the cool, exposed metal. A slick substance between the skin and metal exoskeleton gathered on her digits.

"This doesn't... hurt?"

Adam watched her with curiosity over his shoulder as she touched his injury and shook his head. "No. I can feel your hands and a slight sting, but no pain."

"I guess... That's good. What's this?" She asked, showing him her slick fingertips that had the transparent, thick fluid on them.

"It's a lubricant that keeps my skin elastic and from sticking to my exoskeleton." He explained.

"Oh... like a moisturizer."

He nodded. "You can say that."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and asked, "Did this... happen with Grün yesterday?"

Reddish eyes rolled at the thought of that event. "Yes. Your android _friend_ 9S launched a missile which caused him and I to catapult from the explosion. This was from the impact on shore and hitting a tree. I would have sustained greater damage if I hadn't erected a protective shield."

Lilia didn't know whether to be grateful he told her the truth or mortified that happened to him yesterday. Perhaps both.

_Christ, you machines and androids are fuckin' tough as shit to have survived._ She thought in amazement. In full acknowledgement that if it was her she'd be a splattered paint ball on the ground, turn to burnt bacon, or both.

However, it awakened old, painful memories. She now had two important men in her life who came face-to-face with a deadly explosion. Except, for this time, one of them came back to her. For once, life didn't maliciously spit in her face.

Morbid thoughts wormed into her mind before pushing them away from the here and now away. She sighed with irritation before poking him on his lower back. "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"

He snorted as he let go of his shirt and cascaded to its proper place along his torso. "Well, tell that crazy android friend of yours to not shoot a missile at a thousand-meter-tall machine."

Her throat rumbled in a chuckle. "I'll add that to the list." She then had a thought, which made her remember something "Aren't you supposed to be with Eve today?"

She saw him grimace. "I—"

Lilia tapped him in the shoulder in a gentle reminder. "I'm sure he's worried since you're not with him now."

"I don't want to leave you." He admitted. "You're still hurt."

She waved him off, not having any excuses. "I'm fine Adam. My nurses will be sure of that. Go to your brother before he starts lookin' for you."

He was silent a few moments as confliction rattled his psyche. Reddish eyes shifted, and his silver brows twitched in thought. Then he breathed out, defeated, "All right."

A smile graced Lilia's face but then faded as she asked in hesitation, "And... could you do me a favor while you're out?"

Adam raised a brow. "What is it?"

Lilia scratched her head. "If it's not too much trouble... could you get my purse and staff?"

The silver haired machine chuckled and shook his head. "No trouble at all."

She smiled again and nodded. "Thanks. You two have fun. And try not to worry too much. I'm in good hands."

Adam shifts his feet in nervousness. "I'll try."

At that moment, the twins came back. Popola carrying the bandages and gauze, and Devola had her breakfast. The heady aroma of cooked meat wafted in the air causing Lilia's mouth to water and her stomach to growl. The source came from cubed meat skewered on six metal rods. She groaned at her body's reaction to the food. Even though she couldn't help it.

Mentally shaking her head, then addressing Adam while she caressed his hand with her own. "Go. Before your brother starts lookin' for you. I'm not goin' nowhere."

Adam nodded his head and gave her a chaste kiss before he teleported out. Lilia blushed from the public show of affection. Well, somewhat public. The twins looked at her and Lilia could tell they wanted the juicy details now that Adam vacated the trio. Popola having the slyer look of the two.

Lilia rolled her eyes. "Ain't tellin' you two nothin'."

Unfortunately, her human nature popped up again, this time she needed to pee.

—xxx—

In a halo of golden light, Adam teleported to his and Eve's meeting place. Overcast, thick clouds obscured the sun. The air saturated with humidity and brief gusts of wind. Eve was sitting on his side of the table with his arms crossed and feet on the dark oak table very much emitting impatience.

Eve raised a brow at his _exceptionally_ late twin. "There you are brother! I was going to come looking for you. And what happened to your shirt?"

"Sorry, for being late." Haste in his voice as he rationalized it was better to leave Lilia out of the conversation, given Eve's strong dislike of her, so he informed, "Grün returned, and I took care of that problem."

"Just you? Are you injured?" Adam couldn't put his finger on it, but his brother's _tone_ wasn't as concerned as it should be. Given the fact how dependent his twin was on him.

_Maybe it's just me and where my own thoughts are at the moment. I expected Lilia being accused as to the cause of my injuries. Maybe... he's letting up on his jealousy?_

He hoped that was the case and decided not to press his brother.

Adam waved his twin's worry away, "Those androids were there, although they were a nuisance given our history. I have minor injuries to my skin, but not much else. Anyway, what do you want to do today?"

Eve continued to keep his brow raised, knowing something was amiss. That didn't stop him from giving a smug smile. "Um, thought we'd go someplace different today. The database says there's a marshland around two hundred and forty-one kilometers north east of here. I've been there, so I'll teleport us. Thought we'd play there if that's OK with you."

Adam nodded, quick on accepting his offer. "Very well."

Eve got up from his spot on the table and approached his brother, embracing him in a tight hug which Adam returned. For a moment nothing happened and worry crawled into Adam's mind.

"Eve...? Is something wrong?"

He felt a tremor before Eve rushed, "N-no! Nothing is wrong. Sorry."

Then, his twin's golden teleportation light surrounded him and they were off to their destination.

Once they had arrived, Adam took in the scenery. The marsh had a thick covering of medium high grass, rushes, and sedges. The songbirds, frogs, and crickets made their chorus within the grass. His sensitive nose picking up the scents of raccoons, opossums and muskrats. The shallow, veins of sloughs cradled ducks and geese adding to the symphony of wildlife. Cattails and bulrushes dominated the edges of the water. His shoes stuck to the muddy land. Few trees sprouted adding to the wide berth of land. The same, thick overcast of clouds from the city ruins covered the sky.

"I'll hide while you count, OK?" His brother announced before he disappeared.

While he was playing with his brother, Adam came across patches of flowers in the wet marshes. They sprouted two to three feet tall; had blue-green, spreading, glossy, strap leaves; and a single reddish-brown stalk shoot, before it separated at the tip of the flower stalk which had five individual flowers. The flowers emitted a very fragrant smell that pleasing to his nose and had six separate petals. Adam observed the flowers having white or had a delicate pink color to the petals. The stamens started as white before the gradation turned into dark purple color, and the anther was an off yellow shade that produced the powdery pollen.

_Wait... wasn't it common to give flowers to people who were sick?_

He scanned through the database to see what species of flower these were. _Crinum Americanum_ commonly called "Swamp Lily".

_A lily? Yes... I... I should give Lilia... lilies._ He thought with mild amusement. _Yes, she'll like these. They are beautiful, and delicate like her._

Once he and Eve finished later that night, he went to collect the flowers he saw earlier. A foot below the end of the flower stalk he cut and made a flower arrangement of both the white and pink ones. Eve questioned him on his activity and purpose with the flowers. Although Adam preferred to gloss over the affair pertaining to Lilia, it became unavoidable with Eve's question.

"Lilia suffered injuries the other day." He explained. "Humans gave a person who was sick or injured flowers to help them heal even if they lack medicinal properties. A mental or emotional stimulus is the best answer to the social norm in my opinion. These lilies... remind me of her. I hope she likes them."

Adam, so engrossed with his task, he didn't notice the tremble in his brother's physic or the brief glow in his pupils.

"What if that android doesn't like lilies?" His twin retorted. "It's not like they're needed for any repair work."

Adam sighed, knowing why he said that remark. "It is the thought counts Eve." Not bothering to turn and give attention to him. They were having a wonderful day, and it kept Adam's thoughts preoccupied from his biting worry over Lilia.

Eve's face crunched in a scowl. " _Tch_ , fine. Whatever. See you later then." He said in a dismissive tone and teleported out.

_Eve... I wish you'd stop that. And now to fulfill my promise._ He thought once he finished collecting a large arrangement of the flowers.

He then teleported to the campsite by the river. The moon hid behind thick clouds and the heavy fragrance of rain impregnated the air. His night-vision brightened the otherwise blackened scenery—giving it a medium blue-gray color instead. Lilia's things remained on the stony riverbank and the gashes in the ground were a heavy reminder of what happened yesterday the other day. An arduous sense of gloom overcame him as he collected her things and placed them in her bag. A picture in his mind she more than likely had thrown it at the rampage machine to escape.

The absolute terror she must have had—

With a mental shake to drive out his burdensome thoughts, he then teleported to the location of her staff. The faint scent of her blood invaded his nose. He glanced at the destroyed remains of the rampage machine, trickles of Lilia's blood coming out of the mouthpiece and flies had gathered. The odor of blood and flesh attracting them to lay their eggs. Anger coiled and bubbled in his breast as he searched for her pole in the thick grass in a haphazard daze. Once he found it, the first thing he noticed was the black stain of her bloody palm print streaked and pooled around the ground from the light rain.

Her piercing scream echoed in his mind along with the sound of delicate bones breaking. A wheezing, gasping breath as she fought to breathe as the same pole pressed against her neck. The imprint still on her skin in a dark bruise.

Cruel what-ifs' playing in the recesses of his mind he hadn't arrived. Her glassy, fogged eyes staring at him with contempt and judgment. His blunt nails on his free hand dug without mercy into his palm. Aware of the sting as it cut into his flesh but uncaring. His _fake_ , carbon composite skin only served as a shroud his machine heritage. Teeth gritting as the anger and self-loathing only tightened in his chest.

Patters of rain dripped from the sky pattering against the metal of the machine, tree leaves, and foliage.

_Have I not been good to her? Have I not been gentle? Even when I didn't know what she was?_

The machine he believed he'd destroyed twitched, and its eyes lighting in dim awareness. Its remaining sensors detected him. "fOur... iTc-chY... tAstY..." It gurgled out in a digitized voice.

_What did she do to deserve to be hurt? To be torn apart by a machine? Or... was the sin... my own? Was it because of my ambition? For me to witness the cost?_

"fEed... Mee... EaT..." It crawled on its one remaining limb as sparks and oil came out of its half-destroyed body in a pathetic display.

Adam gritted his teeth in a snarl. _It... it wouldn't have been worth her life!_

Rage and self-loathing came out at once as he shot an energy wave at the rampage machine as he screamed. The ground vibrating and the woodlands lighting up in a beacon. The trees in the way of the blast disintegrated along with the machine.

_Take my failure with you! You damn machine!_

—xxx—

Lilia continued to chew on the tough piece of moose meat in her mouth. It wasn't beef that's for sure, but whatever. Content as she drank at least half the water content of the bottle the twins procured for her. Her stomach rolling in the gamey meat and crystalline liquid goodness. The twins had inspected her injuries, and she was recovering as expected. The missing fingers on her left hand however—

It made her nauseated looking at the missing digits. The pinked, contorted, little stumps staring at her. The hard yank of bone and the crunch echoing in her mind. Followed by the excruciating pain and black pit of fear of being eaten alive. She could still imagine the nerve memory of the digits as she wiggled them.

The twins had re-wrapped her hand and added more ointment. Thankful that she didn't have to see it for the time being.

It drizzled rain later that morning, which only added to the discomfort on her ankle. With little to do until she healed, she rested and dozed—restlessness and boredom increased. Toward lunchtime, she received her first visitor besides the twins. Irritation gnawed at her at seeing the silver-haired android, her clothes damp from coming out from the sprinkles of rain.

"Oh, hey 2B. Where's 9S?" Lilia said in a clipped tone.

2B shifted her feet at her tone. "He's being repaired at the Bunker. I came to... check on you."

"Well, as you can see I'm healin' fine. I have two wonderful nurses."

The android offered an uncomfortable moment of silence before she asked, "Where's... Adam?"

The displeased human smiled. "Oh? Adam? He's with his brother right now. Ya know he sees him every other day. Did you know? Which reminds me." She turned to her two nurses. "Devola, Popola, I need to speak to 2B in private. We need to have _girl talk_."

The pink-haired twins looked at each other with speculation and awkwardness before they nodded and exited. A single wooden door creaked before closing shut.

Lilia raised herself up to stare at the guilty android and crossing her arms. An unamused expression on her face. "Well... got somethin' to tell me?"

An awkward stance found shape in the android's slender body. Her petite hands clenched and a deep-set frown on her thin, pink lips. An unusual posture considering 2B's calm and collected demeanor.

"You shouldn't be seeing him!" She hissed out.

Her support Pod piped up, "2B, the Commander's orders state—"

"Shut it Pod!"

Lilia's eyes narrowed and the frown on her face deepened. " _Humph!_ Or what?" She said boarder-lining on a snarl. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because he's—"

"A machine?"

2B gasped at Lilia's interjection.

"Yeah, 2B I've known for a while. And, _no_ ," she waved her right hand at the android, "it doesn't bother me. And, _no_ , you ain't gonna change my mind."

Desperation laced the android's tone as she said, "You know what the machines are!"

Hazel-green eyes rolled at her statement. "That's real stupid of you to say 2B. Why leave me at Pascal's village? I'm surrounded by machines. What makes Adam so different?"

She paused before ordering her support machine. "Pod... play the recording of the first encounter with Adam and Eve."

"The recording is classified."

"I'm aware! I'll explain the situation to the Commander later! Show her the recording!"

_Should I get popcorn for this?_ She thought in dry sarcasm.

Lilia huffed again, suspicious and guessed of the recording stored.

The pod approached her and materialized a yellow-orange screen. It showed a brief blip of a window before she noted a familiar voice.

_"Welcome... to—"_ The video shifted, but it paused enough for her to see the stilled image.

She recognized Adam although he was shirtless. Beside him was a carbon copy of him except he had short-cropped hair, a black tribal looking tattoo on his left arm and different style pants.

_That must be Eve._ This wasn't how she thought she'd first lay eyes on Adam's twin. _But... at least I know what he looks like now. And, where are they?_

In the background was a staircase and there was something on the sides that looked blob-ish, but it was blurry. Lilia suspected that it was intentional given how blocked out it was.

_They don't realize I know that the aliens are dead... Is this at one of their bases?_

Lilia came to that conclusion on observing the blurred-out imagery surrounding the silver-haired machines. Along with the fact the pod said the video is confidential. And it sounded as if they cut Adam off mid-sentence. Not only that, she remembered that alien signal that Adam hinted at a few days ago and what Pascal said months back. Deciding not to question the android at the obvious blurring, she continued to look at the screen. The twin brothers teleported, and each went to a subsequent android. Eve having gone to 2B.

_"You—!"_

_"2B! Look out!"_ She overheard 9S say off screen.

_"My name is Adam. The—"_ there was a deliberate crackle and a screen shift. The next 2B was fighting Eve while Adam talked off screen. _"Machines are weapons capable of evolution. We can grow. We can become... aware."_ The screen shook due to 2B fighting Eve, but she could see the swish of her blade, fire from the Pod and the kicks and energy blasts from Eve. Something blurred around the androids and the machine twins.

Lilia nodded at the information so far given. _Yeah, Adam has told me as much. I can hear the drum roll playing._

Adam continued, _"Eventually, the intelligence within our network surpassed that of our creators. You'd probably be surprised at how quickly it happened."_

_"You—"_ The screen crackled again mid-sword slash as 9S spoke.

When the video played again, it was Adam who said mid-sentence, _"—the humans on the moon? Now_ they _are interesting."_

_"Why them?"_

_"Because they are an enigma!"_

_Yeah, that sounds like Adam._ She thought with a roll of her eyes. _I'm still waiting for it. And it's obvious they are leaving out information about the aliens every time the video cracks like that._ She said nothing as she listened to Adam continue his speech.

_"They killed uncountable numbers of their own kind and yet loved in equal measure! It's fascinating, don't you think? What could drive such behavior? We have dedicated ourselves to unraveling this riddle of humanity... And now we will allow you to assist us. You were made in their image after all."_

_"Assist you with what?"_ 2B demanded from the machine.

_"It's simple... We need you to locate the humans on the moon and bring them to us. We will then dissect and analyze them to drag their secrets forth into the light!"_

_Whelp! There it is, I guess that's what 2B was counting on that bit of information._ Lilia shook her head and rolled her hazel-green eyes.

_"Surely you see the attraction in this."_

_"Are you insane?! We'd never do that! Can you believe this, 2B? This guy's bonkers!"_

Lilia chuckled, that sounded just like 9S to say.

_"Well, I suppose this concludes negotiations. The only remaining option... is to destroy you. The same way we—"_ The scene shifted again, and the screen dissipated.

"You see!" 2B exclaimed. "If he figures out you are human..."

The irritated human woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "You mean he _once_ wanted to do that. He no longer wants to."

2B pursed her lips, dubious at her statement. "He could be lying to you."

Lilia shook her head. "He's not. I would think with you and 9S spyin' on us you'd think otherwise."

The female android twitched.

"Before you ask, Adam told me. And Adam concluded when 9S hinted as much. And I ain't pleased one bit of you two playin' _peepin' tom_ on us. I have to wonder why the hell you two didn't tell me when you both realized who I was talkin' with?" She snapped while pointing an accusatory finger at the guilty android. "In hindsight, I'm glad you two didn't."

She lowered her head in shame at the thought. "We... we were..."

Lilia slumped her shoulders. "Let me guess 'under orders', right? Figures. Dunno who the hell I should be madder at. You two or that damn Commander of yours."

2B sighed, weary at the turn of events. "She reasoned a sudden change in your demeanor towards him would be suspicious. And... to gather intel on him and his brother. They were a new machine model and your meetings presented an opportunity. So, yeah, we've been watching. The Council gave the go-ahead on the operation too. In Commander White's defense, she prioritized your safety if he were to discover your true identity and to keep tabs on you."

Her pod piped up again. "2B, I must warn this conversation is against YoRHa regulations—"

"I _know_ Pod. Situation has changed." The android woman retorted, annoyed at her support pod and exasperated.

Lilia gave 2B a sideway glace. "And let me take _another_ ballpark guess, the day you two left on that 'mission' of yours, was followed up by him figurin' it out who I was and me the same with him. And... you two were to eliminate him once he _did_ cos all you knew was his desire to dissect humans. Right?"

"He—!" The android picked up on her hint.

"Yeah, pretty much. So if he wanted to _dissect and analyze_ me, he'd done it. I mean, it was a prime time, right? You two were gone, and I stood _no chance_ against him. And he admitted that's what he _once_ wanted to do. So that little video you played? Totally  _pointless_." Lilia proclaimed.

"Yet you—!"

"Yeah." She interjected. "He won't hurt me. He _can't_."

2B sighed at the weariness at the complicated affair. "The order still stands."

Lilia snorted at her. "Well, I'm tellin' _you_ otherwise. If you attack and hurt him, I'll _never_ forgive you for it, orders or not. _Tch_ , with how mad I am at you two, I'll prolly let 'em kick your asses. Adam won't hurt me. You'll just have to trust me on that." She'll keep saying it until it got through to their thick, metal skulls.

The silver-haired android crossed her arms in doubt. "And how do you know he won't in the future? What of his brother?"

Regret laced Lilia's voice at that question. "I... tested him... rather stupidly. He _won't_ hurt me. Now, his brother..." she paused in quiet consideration, "that I don't know. And since you two have been _listenin' in_. I'm sure you two get the impression he doesn't _like me_ very much. I'd be more concerned with Eve than Adam... if... I were to be honest." She sighed at the admission. "Don't tell 'em I said that."

"We... still have our orders," 2B murmured, her head bowed in defeat with clenched hands. "I'm sorry."

Lilia's face soured. "Tell your Commander I said to go eat machine cock for all I care. And get the hell out."

—xxx—

That night, a golden light _whished_ into the cool, dark room. The soft patter of rain echoing in the small space along with a soft snore. A surprise gasp of two pink-haired twins cut through the calm stillness. The twins relaxed once they realized it was Adam who had teleported into the room. They placed a finger across their mouths to signal to stay silent and allow Lilia to rest. Adam nodded at seeing her half-naked sleeping form that lay on her left side and cuddling a pillow. The blanket bunched around her waist showing off the curve of her lean legs and a thick woven bandage around the left ankle and foot. The bandages, which were on her arm and back, are gone. Only a faint pinkness where at the locations of now healed skin. He couldn't see her mangled hand because it was under the pillow.

The twins then gave him a cross look at seeing him wet from the rain. He wasn't dripping wet, but enough for his trousers to tighten on his legs. The moisture added a shine to his bare torso. The silver-haired machine ignored their irritated stare and set Lilia's things on top of the table next to her bed in quiet stealth. With delicateness, he set the flowers he collected next to them. Little drips of moisture came off the petite petals. An armless, wooden chair—which wasn't there when he first arrived—was at the right corner of the bed. A moment's consideration came to his mind before he sat on it. The wood creaked as he settled on the wood. With patience, he waited for Lilia to finish resting. The silver-haired machine continued his gloom mood as he hunched over and stared at the scuffed floor. Then, he sat back and crossed his arms. His reddish eyes scanning over Lilia's sleeping form again.

As he did the other night, he closed his eyes and turned on his secondary audio sensors to listen to the beat of her heart and breathing of her lungs. The enthralled machine couldn't help but listen to the life that pumped through her delicate, human frame. He listened to one twin move and leave the room, but he didn't pay much thought to her departure.

Moments later, the android return and picked up the click of her shoes as she approached him. But, instead of acknowledging him, she walked past him toward the desk. He opened his eyes to see what she was doing. A momentary panic settled in his chest as he perceived the rustling of the flowers he had brought but that subsided when the pink-haired twin unveiled their new home in a cylindrical, metal tube. She had a white tablet in her hand she let drop into the tube and a faint splash of water. The twin turned to him and smiled before sitting next to her look-alike.

Adam stared at the vase of flowers and more calmness settled in his metal being. The rain outside stopped.

_"Ya know Adam, it might be annoyin' when those small storms come, but they always leave the area lookin' fresh. Like... I dunno, like the earth took a bath or somethin'."_

A small smile graced his lips and the sweet tang of blueberries filled his palate.

Bathing... fresh... new... cleansed.

_The rain has washed my sins away. Let me be forgiven, by you, my Creator. Have mercy on my bones of metal and nerves of wire. Have me stay within your grace._

Hours later, Lilia exhaled a heavy breath as her body stretched. Her right hand moved toward her face and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She then turned over on her back and having noticed that Adam was there, pulled up the blanket to cover herself. He didn't see—knowing how prone to bashfulness she was—keeping his eyes closed until she covered herself.

"G'mornin' to you." She mumbled.

He then opened his eyes and smiled at her. "To you as well. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better," she said simply.

The plain answer was enough. He'd take 'better' considering the last few days she had to endure.

The twins got up from their spots and the straight haired one announced, "We'll be right back with your breakfast." They walked out and closed the door behind them. Thus, leaving the two alone.

Adam then moved from his spot on the chair to sit beside her on the bed. She likewise sat up to meet him. He noticed her mangled hand still bandaged and the bruise around her neck remained. A feeling of guilt in his metal chest coiled at the sight.

"How are you... really?" He asked again, now that the twins left the room.

Her hazel-green eyes looked at her hand and they softened. "I... dunno. I'll live but... we'll have to see how this will affect me. Dunno how well I'll cope with it but... I _am_ better."

The machine nodded in acceptance. "OK... I believe you." He said before turning his attention toward his gift. "I brought you your things and... something else. I hope you like it."

Lilia looked at him, curiousness in her eyes, as he reached for the vase that held the flowers he brought and handed it to her. She gasped at the sight of the delicate flowers.

Nerves fluttered in his abdomen as he said while bowing his head. "I—well, they reminded me of you... you know... lilies for Lilia. So, I thought—you’re crying! I'm sorry!"

Panicking he had done something wrong or didn't follow the right societal procedure and now she became upset at him. He reached for the vase of flowers intending to leave before she stopped him. Her hands grasping for the metal vase.

"No! No... they're wonderful. They're happy tears." She explained as she took the vase and its flowers it contained from him and pressed it to her chest. Her nose sniffing the fragrant petals.

Her explanation and facial expression confused him. She had tears falling from her gentle hazel-green eyes, but she had a delicate smile on her face. What were 'happy tears'?

Confounded, Adam asked, "Happy... tears?"

"Yeah. Happy tears for a happy memory." She responded cryptically.

"Oh. Then, good. I thought..."

She shook her head, her curly hair bouncing. "No, you did nothin' wrong. I'm glad you brought me these. They're my grandma's flowers."

"Your... grandmother? You mean your mother's mother?"

"Yeah." Adam saw a broad smile come to her face. "She loved these flowers. She'd have _pots_ of them around her apartment and their fragrance seeped into the apartments next to her's. And she'd say, 'Look I have lilies for my Little Lily'." A chuckle escaped her throat from her reminiscing.

_At least she likes them._ He thought relieved. _Human families are strongly knitted, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by her reaction to something associated with one. Especially a member who seems important. Strange how I thought the same thing when I saw them. No matter, as long as she's happy._

Then she asked, "Adam, what possessed you to get me these? I'm grateful, but why?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I acknowledge it was a common practice to give flowers. For affection, for those who were sick, amends, or other such things. I saw them while I was with Eve... I don't know why I stopped to look at them. But, I searched through the network and found the name and it stuck. I didn't realize that your grandmother liked them as well."

She let out a solemn breath before she replied, "No... you couldn't have known. It's just—never mind—thank you, for bringin' me these." Lilia wiped the tear streaks away from her bronzed cheeks. "They're beautiful."

Adam gave a cocky smile and retorted, "Like you."

Lilia snorted and laughed while putting the vase on the bedside table. Her brow perked at his attempt at flirting. At least, he hoped she liked his practice at flirtation. Even though he felt it was a silly thing to say.

_Is what I said good?_ He thought critical at his actions. _I learned potential mates or "couples" do that sort of thing. Flirting and teasing of the like to each other to signify a bond._

Her uninjured hand found itself wrapped around a lock of his silver hair as she coaxed him to lean towards her. Silver brows rose at what she was doing. There was a twinkle in her soft hazel-green eyes and an impish grin. Then, his own smile crooked on his mouth as she placed a kiss on them. Of which, he reciprocated, eager to participate in the affectionate activity.

It didn't take long for the kiss to deepen and that fluttering sensation to start in his chest and travel from his spine to his toes. It was pleasant as the electrical tingles enthralled him. Their tongues met in a dance as she lay flat on the bed. Her hands tangled in his hair to press further. A throaty moan escaped his chest, which caused her to whine. It only excited him further.

Here he was, touching and caressing her. Only days prior he could have lost her. Now he didn't want the end of the moment to come. The emotions fueled his desire to hold her closer to him. Compelled by a mysterious code within his circuitry, he kissed her neck. He kissed and lapped at the skin below her ear and sucked on the point where the shoulder met her neck. Earning him a delectable moan from her. A tangy, salty flavor collected on his palate. His research had him conclude being in proximity to the neck as a sign of trust. After all, the delicate anatomical structure housed the trachea, cervical vertebrae, and both the jugular veins and carotid arteries. Any damage to either structures death followed in minutes. Pride welled within him she deemed him worthy of being so close. Her life—her existence—lay beneath his hand and lips. It was as obvious as the dark bruise as a reminder her life came close to ending two days ago. Delicate kisses pressed at the tender skin, a wish from him for their disappearance.

Adam's olfactory sensors heightened and picked up a musky fragrance coming from her. Unsure of what it was but its presence registered within his internal synapses as a good sign. Her hardened nipples poked his chest, only the blanket serving as a barrier. Petite hands caressing his bare shoulders and nails running along the skin. The delicate blush on her cheeks reddened further, and she bit her bottom lip.

The excited machine continued his ministrations on her neck, going from one side to the other. She gasped his name, further emboldening him. Movements of her neck muscles and pumping of her blood thrummed across his tongue and lips, entranced by the life and heat of Lilia's body.

Her right hand stroked the base of his neck and made a tingling trail to his hairline. Causing him to shiver. The roaming digit made it to his ear where the tip of the forefinger teased the rim. Then, it went in a sensual trail to the lobe before circling back. A mix of a gasp and a moan escaped his lips as his body shivered from the tickling sensation. Lilia had a twinkle in her eye and a playful smile on her lips. Gentle fingers continued their sensual fondling on the rim of his ear.

Why should he not be surprised she knew where to touch him? She was old enough to have experience with intimate interactions. Not only that, he swore a tingling sensation circled between his legs. The implication is _weird_ considering he had no human genitalia. Maybe it was a strange code written in his data to produce the sensation?

His pondering thoughts were interrupted as she leaned up and her warm, moist tongue replaced her roaming fingers. She licked a trail from the lobe to the outside of the rim and gave a gentle blow. A guttural moan escaped his lips and his hands clenched at her sides. Mischievous lips sucked the lobe and her tongue licked the part in her mouth. Then, she pulled back to let the dangling flesh pop out of her mouth. Trapped toes in his shoes curled.

The sensitized machine pulled back. An animalistic groan vibrated in his chest.

As his heated red eyes stared at Lilia, she still had the same playful smile on her full lips, his glowing pupils reflected within her eyes. She laid back on the pillow and her facial expression softened. The blanket she used to cover herself had lowered itself too low, the dark areola peaking above the sheet. Delicate shadows formed from where her hardened nipples poked the soft material. Her torso contracted from the pants of breath. The fingers she used to tease his ear, formed a path across his chest and rest at his left side of his waist in a sensual trail.

Tiny bruises formed around her neck where he sucked on the delicate flesh. A stark antithesis in their creation compared to the long dark one of near-death. An utter fascinating sight, and one he couldn't help but be enthralled by, so very human. Tenderness and callousness. Creation and destruction. Light and dark.

He wanted to fuck her so _bad_.

He wanted her loud, singing moans to echo in this world devoid of humanity. So that the earth, the empty buildings, and the creatures remembered the cries of passion that only a human could make.

He wanted to experience it.

A loud knock at the door broke the sensual spell they had weaved.

—xxx—

On the third day of being at the Resistance camp, the twins allowed her to walk. If by "walk," it was within the confines of the recovery room for brief moments. She needed support from her staff, but the effects if her sprained ankle were minimal. Only a slight limp when she walked and minor discomfort. Popola even started on physical therapy on her ankle to test out the strained muscles. With the risk of infection on her hand gone, the twins were absent for most of the day and night. Thus, returning to their regular duties around the Resistance camp. Along with leaving her _very_ bored.

Anemone came by to give her new clothes to replace the ruined ones. Lilia put on the new set, eager and uncaring the Resistance commander watched. She gave a scarf to hide the bruising around her neck. Afterwards, she showed her a gift in the form of an improvised backpack that the resourceful commander had procured. The backpack material is thick, dark leather; coarse thread that was a discolored yellow color; and tarnished steel buckles. Lilia thanked her, dripping with graciousness, knowing the backpack is much better suited than her oversized purse.

"Look inside, I have another surprise for you." She said with a smile on her face. "I had meant for one of our members to drop it off at Pascal's village since a scheduled to patrol is due that way, but since you're here."

Lilia did as the Resistance commander suggested, and from then on, she will be forever in her good graces. Anemone had obtained a makeshift hair product sealed in a twelve-ounce glass jar with a bail closure. It wasn't similar to the shampoo of her time, the goo had a fine grit to it, was thicker, and had a medium beige color. Despite those differences it smelled of lavender. The fragrance strong when she popped the lid.

"Us androids rarely need to use hair products or bathe in general." She explained. "It took time to gather the ingredients, and I extracted the lavender scent myself. You can use it like normal and it won't take much."

Lilia became speechless before she blurted, "Thank you! Oh God—you don't know how much I've wanted to wash my hair. Feels like a grease trap on my head."

Anemone smiled and accepted her gratitude. Then, the two of them chatted before she brought in the guys from the tech division who were eager to see her since it had been months. She kept the facade of being on a mission from Anemone and became hurt on the job. And it didn't surprise her they asked about the android who brought her into camp. Lilia gave the same excuse as she did the twins. And just like them, they were _too_ curious. It took Anemone to dismiss the guys back to work to pry them away. Although she suspected that—like elderly grandmothers after Sunday service—they'll gossip the day away. Even if it were true in the technical sense.

The next day she walked around the camp with Adam and her staff as her support. The androids didn't say much to him, but they stared. She didn't get out so easily, each android wanting long conversations with her or asked assistance with a software repair. Lilia didn't complain, better than being cooped up like the last few days. When her ankle started to cause discomfort, she made an excuse and sat on a chair or stool. Adam, ever vigil, assisted her when needed. He wasn't the only one who stood guard, Lilia spotted a certain android shirking behind tents at the corner of her eye.

On the fifth day, 2B and a repaired 9S came. The two androids dismissing the twins to speak to her in private. Lilia deduced what was coming and the impending head-butting in a few minutes.

However, Lilia could tell something was off in 9S's demeanor towards her. His teen body shifted from one foot to the other in an uneasy fashion. She couldn't place why he'd have a nervous reaction towards her. Sure he wasn't as headstrong as his female counterpart, but regardless his whole presence radiated uneasy tension. Once the twins left, it didn't take long for their attempts to convince her to stop seeing Adam. 9S being the most vocal of the two. Lilia stood firm in her decision and told them to go fuck themselves and their Commander. Said Commander even graced her with a phone-call. Which Lilia was too happy to tell her to go fuck herself to her face.

What transpired was long and tense between YoRHa Commander and the human woman. The thick walls of the room muffled the sting of the conversation between the two. 2B and 9S couldn't interfere with their verbal dispute. It ranged from the aliens, the Council, the war, and finally Adam and his brother.

It drew to a peak when Commander White spoke an ultimatum, authorized by the highest members of the Council of Humanity.

Once uttered, for at least ten seconds the only sound heard was the buzzing of the Pods and the muffled noise from the camp beyond the room.

Lilia's voice turned harsh and quiet. Giving her answer through gritted teeth.

The only human in the room, distraught and filled with anger, grabbed her staff and swung at the support Pod. The strike violent and hard made. It caused the Pod to hit the wall and shatter the projected screen. The impact wasn't enough to destroy the well-built Pod, but it whirred and zipped back to 2B. So much for 'not killing the messenger'.

Her petite body shook and trembled from the whirlwind of emotions she tried to contain in desperation. The heart within her chest drummed in a fierce beat. A dreaded knot twisted in her gut. She faced the two YoRHa androids who stood just as shocked as her.

"Well? You heard her." The angry human spat out.

2B shook her head visibly upset. "The... order isn't official yet."

"Then get goin'. Don't want you around when it does."

9S cut in, "Lilia—".

"I _don't_ wanna hear it. I've made my choice."

9S's plea was thick in his voice, "Lilia _please_... I... I have to tell you something—"

"Save it 9S!" She shook her head. "I don't wanna hear it! Just..." She swallowed the hard knot in her throat and continued to fight the tears that threatened to fall. The awkward grip she had on her staff tightened, the knuckles turning white. "Just say your peace, wish me luck, and hope our paths don't cross until this stupid _war_ is over."

"This—this isn't right!" Exclaimed 2B. "Why would the Commander—! The Council—!"

Lilia waved 2B's denial off, "Dunno. Don't care. Just—just leave! Please... I... I want to remember you two as friends... so just... leave." Her voice thick with emotion as the weight of her new plight pressed harder on her shoulders.

"We'll find a way to change the Council's mind." Promised 2B. "The Commander wasn't too happy about the order either. I'm sure she'll help."

The desperate human woman shook her head. Her thoughts racing and twisting into an ugly mass in her mind. "I don't _know_ anymore..." She whispered. "Go... please..."

The two androids backed out of the room, slow and hesitant, not wanting the inevitable to occur. Her fate sealed as the door clicked shut. Lilia limped to her bed and slumped on it. Full lips quivering. The soft breeze from the open window caused the flowers Adam brought her to rustle. It was enough to gain her attention to look at them.

In the back of her mind, in a deep buried memory she heard her grandmother say to a small, confused child of only six. She could still smell her heady perfume of the lilies she loved.

_"Remember my Little Lily, God made all the beauty in the world when He created the Garden of Eden. Including this wonderful flower and it's just as beautiful as you because you're a child of God. Don't worry about your momma anymore my sweet grandbaby, she is with Him. And every time she sees these flowers in Heaven's Garden, she'll be thinkin' of you and how much she loves you. If you be good just like mommy, you'll see her in Heaven. And Remember God has a plan for you and He loves you."_

Lilia didn't realize her cheeks shined from tears.

She didn't know if her brain conjured that memory for comfort, but all it did was make her angrier at the world she couldn't fathom of understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five more chapters left!


	13. And On The Sixth Day

In the humid room a tense body waited in the creeping, dark depths of the stifling four walls. She had only slept a few hours so raked from nerves. Her body curled at the head of the bed, and knees pressed against her chest with her head rested on folded arms. Lilia heard he muffled sounds of the hard-at-work androids on the other side of her door and the loud chirp of crickets outside her window.

Lilia knew Adam teleported into the room around midnight. And she'd be right. A _whoosh_ and a flash of yellow light, he materialized before her. She then turned on the fuel lantern by her bed, illuminating the constricting room in a warm, dim glow. The light revealed Adam's surprised expression at finding her awake at this hour. Not only awake but dressed; even to her shoes and dagger belt.

"Lilia?" He whispered. "Why are you awake? You should be resting."

She made a false smile and replied, "I know. Couldn't sleep, and I've been thinkin'... I... I need you to take me to Pascal's village. Just to my room. You can teleport me."

His brows furrowed at her request. "You sure? It's the middle of the night."

She gave him an affirmative nod. "I'm sure."

"You're acting strange. Is something wrong?" Concern weaved into his voice.

She made another half attempt at a smile which only put the silver haired machine more into unease.

"Everythin' is fine." Lilia assured. "I have errands to do before the sun rises and I need your help."

She got out of bed and strapped her new backpack she had filled with her gear. Next, shouldered her purse that only had the flowers Adam gave her within it. Where her belongings once were, she placed a letter sealed for Anemone written by her. Lilia learned the leader could read the alphabet common during her time. She gave the crinkled, stained paper a lingering touch. A silent prayer accompanied the hope within her chest and the Resistance leader believed the confessions it contained. While she prepared to depart, Adam's disquiet grew.

"Lilia, please tell me what's wrong. What happened yesterday?"

Hazel-green eyes downcasted, lips thinned in a frown, and her hands tightened around her staff before she replied, "I... made a choice and I intend on seein' it through, all you need to know for now is... I won't be welcome back anymore. And I need to leave before anyone notices I'm missin'. So please, take me to my room in Pascal's village."

He blinked at her small admittance, anxiety knotting in his mind. "'Won't be welcome back anymore'? Lilia what—"

"Please!" She pleaded through gritted teeth. "Just—I promise I'll tell you the whole story. Do as I ask please." Her emotions coiling and bubbling gave way to a sickening nausea.

Lilia wrapped her arms around Adam's waist. She needed something solid to ground her and to press him more. Adam hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his own arms around her. In relief she sighed, Lilia closed her eyes and like the famous Dorothy Gale a storm whisked her away.

Her stomach lurched and her sides tightened as she waited for the nausea to cease. After a few minutes she settled, and the world stopped spinning, allowing Lilia to let go of Adam.

Without wasting a second, she turned on the flashlight she used as a light and put her staff horizontal on her bed before reaching under the bed she pulled out the box of the remnants of her time. Carefully stuffing them into her purse while being mindful of the flowers. After a minutes consideration, she took the blankets off the bed. She was less likely to be in trouble with Pascal than the Resistance fighters for stealing. The memory of that poor sod sentenced to being beheaded days into her first coming to this world.

"Lilia?" He whispered. "What are you doing?"

"I... I don't have time to explain, but I need to do this Adam." She said as she folded and stuffed the blankets into her backpack.

"Why? Just tell me. I don't understand this sneaking around."

She laughed without mirth. "Yeah, I know." Then, she pulled out a similar looking paper as addressed to Anemone out of her purse, but this one was to Pascal. She had it hang on a nail that poked out of the crude constructed walls, with another silent prayer before grabbing her staff from the bed. The grip on her metal pole tightened in apprehension, an exhausted breath escaped Lilia's lips, steeling her heart for the rest of her plan.

"OK, now... I want you to take me to the alien base."

If he wasn't in any more level of anxiety and confusion of her strange behavior that question did it. "Why? What brought this up?"

"I wanna know is all. I'm aware that one of their bases is within the city ruins and I wanna see what's left of them. For some time I've been meanin' to ask you." Lilia then turned off her flashlight and put it within her purse. Within the dark she held on to Adam in a silent request. "So please... take me."

The human woman could sense the tension within Adam's machine frame. Of questions unanswered. Of worry for her. He wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders. Once again zipped to another location. After calming her body again from the jerking sensation of the teleport she looked around the surroundings.

She and Adam were within a tunnel that had dim lights studded on the chiseled walls. The air thick with dust and dirt, adding to the sense of claustrophobia. In front of them was a giant metal door which must have been twenty feet wide and fifteen feet tall. Surrounding the door and floor were the dead bodies of machines. They had gouged claw marks and dented the door. Splattered around the vicinity had heavy burned sections of the tunnel and door, leaving behind heavy, black soot.

A great battle took place here; the machine warriors rested frozen in time as the day they disconnected and died. Whatever they were fighting against lay beyond the bashed and battered metal doors they had targeted. She had the uneasy perception of what it was they rebelled against here.

"Through there lies one of the many graveyards of the machine creators." Adam offered in a flat remark.

_Not just the machine creators._ The notion disturbed her.

"This doesn't creep you out?" She asked. Jitters seeping into her bones.

Adam raised a brow and shook his head. "No. Why should it?"

"It's—well—these are the bodies of other machines, right? Aren't they your ancestors? I mean, without them..."

The machine gave her a perplexed expression. "Ancestry," he murmured in quiet thought. "I fail to see how. There is no genetic legacy between us."

"Maybe not but," she paused, "ya know, without them rebellin' you wouldn't be here."

He shrugged his shoulders on such a well-known fact. "You're right. But, they are not my ancestors. There were no other machines like me before, well, me. Eve as well."

"I know, but," a deep sigh escaped her throat, unable to find the words-what she was thinking, what her human self understood on an instinctual level. She couldn't formulate how to explain it to someone made of metal and wires. "Even if that were true, I'm sure these machines fought against the aliens with bravery. Though no one else knows. I don't think their sacrifice went in vain."

Adam stood silent behind her. Lilia realized he was analyzing her words. Her talk of sacrifice and bravery.

"So, these aliens are through that door?" She asked after a moment of silence.

He stammered before responding. "Y-yes. Their mummified remains."

"OK... lets go."

As they approached the heavy door it opened with a loud screech and clang. Both sides allowed just enough room for her and Adam through one at a time. The stagnant air that came out stank of death, making her gag and cough. Her leather boots clinked on the metal floors. On her sides, a blue light illuminated the walkway leading downward to a semi-circular chamber.

The creepy, nauseated aura increased as she creeped down the stairs—mindful of her healing ankle. It reminded her of ancient curses of disturbing the dead in their eternal sleep. Now she entered their tomb she had a curse inflicted on her or another fool thing. As her feet landed on the bottom platform, the circular wall in front gritted and lifted. Beyond the thick, glass window were the disfigured remnants of space ships—the kind depicted on old sci-fi shows or video games—sitting in a storage hanger. The bright lights within the ship hanger illuminated the chamber she was in, and it was that moment she noticed on the staircase wall encapsulated the mangled, blob-ish bodies of the aliens.

"Are these the... aliens?" She whispered to Adam, afraid that if she raised her voice, they'd jump at her.

"Yes."

She approached the one nearest to her which sat in a semi-circular encapsulated chair and examined its gray-brown, leathery skin; it's over-sized bulbous head had a contorted face with plate-sized eyes missing and toothless mouth wide and shriveled tentacle appendages below the giant head.

"Heh… they don't look like much. They look like—dunno—like squid or octopus with faces on them."

_Or the ghost monsters in friggin_ Pac-man, she thought.

Adam laughed at her assessment. "You'd be right. Compared to humans, they were simple. Infantile. Almost like plants you'd say."

Lilia gave him a baffled look at his characterization of the machine creators. "How'd the hell did they make us to go to the moon if they were like that?"

The silver haired machine pointed at the destroyed alien ships in the hanger. "Those ships they acquired. Although they _used_ them, they didn't _build_ them. An extinct species manufactured them and they put the abandoned ships to use. These aliens had enough intelligence to use those motherships in the most basic sense." He explained before upturning his nose. "And by basic I mean: turn it on, set the autopilot, and point at a destination."

"So... those ships were the reason?" She asked as she walked toward the viewing window into the hanger.

Adam closed the distance between them as he spoke. "Oh yes. If they didn't have them, you humans would've crushed them with no trouble I suspect. Given the fragments of data of the technology humans developed."

"But what of the machines? Didn't they build them?" She asked.

Adam shrugged at her question before crossing his arms. "Yes and no. Once they came to this planet, they used designs in existence and used factories you humans built for production. As I stated, they never built or designed themselves." He then laughed softy. "And, again, this is how _base_ these aliens were; they used designs from human children's toys since they were so common."

Lilia's face lit up in realization. "That's why the machines looked so damn familiar!"

Red eyes gave her a perturbed expression at her outburst.

The human woman blushed. "Oh, well, you see when I first arrived _here_ when I saw the machines I thought they looked like robots in old sci-fi movies and shows, and yeah, even robot lookin' kid's toys. It's well... _is_ one reason when I arrived, that I thought I was dreamin'."

Adam hummed. "I'd be understandable considering the time period."

"Yeah, and here's a taste of irony. Most of those shows and movies those robots were the kind to take over the world to," she took a breath and in her best dramatic tone said, " _enslave the human race or kill us all_ , kinda thing."

Adam upturned his thin mouth in a sneer. "I doubt these aliens could understand the _concept_ of irony. Although that _is_ ironic."

"It's... kinda sad, actually."

A curious expression formed on the machine's face. "How so?"

Her mangled hand scratched the back of her head in thought. "Well... those designs are for entertainment... fun and, well, it got twisted and turned against us." She sighed at where she was going in her explanation. "Did I mention I _hate_ irony?"

_Ironic that the aliens used human_ toy _designs that were so devastating that it sent us to the moon and decimated our numbers? Or, ironic that you fell in love with one of those machines?_

The human looking machine gave a concerned looked at her melancholic demeanor. "Lilia?"

She shook her head. "No. No... it's—I'm OK. Just... just me thinkin' is all. Anyway," clearing her throat before asking, "how was it that the machines turned on their creators? Weren't you guys programmed to 'obey thy master' kinda thing?"

Adam was silent a moment before answering. "We machines are capable of evolution. We started _thinking_ on our own. You'd be surprised how quickly it happened once we become aware and our intelligence surpassed that of our creators. It was the alien's fault on the machine's insurrection."

"How come?"

He cocked a smile. "They used A.I. algorithms you human's designed and integrated them into the machines produced. For better combat output I believe."

Lilia chuckled at his explanation. "There goes irony again. Used human design to nearly wipe _us_ out, but human design turned right around to wipe _them_ out. Dunno if I should be proud of my species or mortified."

Adam snorted. "Say what you want. I, however, am glad they went extinct and are no longer in control. They had no culture, hardly any history to note, they were so _—uninteresting_. I don't know of any machine who gives these pathetic aliens a second thought. Now, you humans—you're _fascinating_."

To Lilia's surprise the longer he spoke the more passionate and animated he became. His reddish eyes lighting up at his fervent speech.

"You killed uncountable members of your species, but you loved and cared for each other in equal measure. You humans created beautiful art, music, and literature recording history both of your own and this planet's; innovated technology and medicine that extended and bettered your short lives. Unique religions and cultures shaped your societies, and in each corner of this world you touched and conquered. All while you _killed_ , waged bloody wars, developed weapons that could exterminate millions of people in a torrent of fire. Overflowing graveyards of death left in the wake of your battle cries, pushing and pulling one another.

"Despite the _suffering_ you inflicted on each other, you still _loved_ and cared for one another. All of _this_ bundled into a single species. You. Humanity. And I," he stopped as his eyes held reverence, "cannot stop but be _enraptured_ and entranced by your dichotomy."

The only human in the room blushed, shifted her feet, and cleared her throat. "Well, um, you didn't have to put it _that_ way."

Adam chuckled and smiled. "It is the truth as I see it. All of us machines have an affinity towards humanity. Some have that attraction more than others."

A small grin formed on her lips. "I can believe it."

Lilia took a moment to walk around the enlarged space. She looked at the machinery across the walls and examined each of the mummified squid-looking aliens. A quiet whirlwind of emotions swirled in her heart, mulling over what Adam informed her in silence. The only sounds were the soft whir of the machinery, her booted steps and the clink of her staff.

Her silver-haired companion allowed her to walk alone for a while, waiting at the viewing glass. Observing her until he ended his silent review and walked towards her.

"Lilia, what are you feeling as you see them?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Dunno. Lots of things. Anger and sadness, I guess."

"Please, explain."

Lilia shifted her feet, realizing the bad idea when she put too much pressure on her left ankle. She righted herself a half-second later. A soft grunt from her throat as her companion reached for her; his cool hand wrapped around her right arm to offer support. Once balanced he let go of her. However, she shifted more on her right leg and held her staff firmer. "I'll try, but it's muddy feelin's goin' in my head."

He nodded in understanding. "Just do your best."

"All right. Well, I guess I'm mad at these dumb, little squid bastards for nearly killin' off my species. And makin' us have to leave our home. And I can't say I feel _that_ much sympathy for 'em for that reason. But..."

"But?"

"I guess I'm sad that it had to come to this. I mean—maybe there could've been another way? Like mutual benefit kinda thing? And maybe the pain and sufferin' the last few thousand years wouldn't have happened. Perhaps we wouldn't be endangered, and they wouldn't be extinct."

Adam smiled. "You see? This is what I find _fascinating_ about you humans. You felt two polar opposite emotions for these aliens. You hate them, but sympathy."

Lilia scratched her head and chuckled. "Being human... can be confusin' sometimes. And Adam?"

"Yes?"

"Did they have the technology to time travel? Or did we?" Her eyes glittered in hope.

She perceived his answer by his long silence. "I'm sorry. If the technology existed it's no longer within the network database and none of my inquiries on humans suggests they had the capabilities either. It's possible since you are here, but no evidence has surfaced."

She sighed, disappointed.

_I had hoped to find answers; a reason for me being here. All that's left is emptiness and ruin just like what's left of_ us _._

On hearing her name, she turned to the machine beside her. He noticed her clenched jaw and long stare. She dismissed his lingering questions with a shake of her head.

_You don't need to know my fears Adam. You wouldn't understand even if I found the words to tell you. I know when you look at me sometimes my nature confuses you. Ignorance is bliss Adam even if you hope to imitate it._

"Let's just... get outta here. My ankle is throbbin', and this place creeps me out."

Adam gave a silent nod. Then, a moment of consideration before he asked, "While we're here, there's something I want to show you. I've been meaning to present it to you for some time now."

A remorseful sigh escaped her mouth that had turned into a deep frown. "I dunno Adam. I'm on a deadline here. What time is it?"

His reddish eyes turned distant before he responded. "Um... Approximately three hours until sunrise."

Lilia took a minute to consider his request. She still had time to finish her tasks considering it was still dark this time of night. Plus, she had no intention to return to the city ruins for a _long_ while although she needed to rest her ankle soon. The added weight of the backpack and purse didn't help the healing muscles.

"If we make it quick, I guess it couldn't hurt. It's not part of this place is it?"

"I understand." The then sighed. "And no, it's not part of the alien base. Something built it after their destruction. It's further up the tunnel and down an elevator." He explained. "It shouldn't take but ten minutes to reach it."

A morbid chuckle emanated from her chest. "Hopefully it's livelier than an alien cemetery."

He snorted at her comment. "I think so. Here, since your ankle is bothering you. Climb on." He then knelt in front of her, offering a piggy-back ride.

She blushed and hesitated a second before accepting the offer. Her arms and legs wrapped around his torso and his arms supported her dangling legs. Effortlessly, he walked up the stairs and out the damaged door they had first entered. Once again confronted with the broken corpses of the machines that had fought so long ago. The deep seeded sorrow at witnessing it churned her heart.

"Adam... wait."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "Lilia? What is it?"

"Put me down for just a sec."

Adam gave her a confused look before he complied. She turns to face the door one last time before she walked to it and placed one of the lily stalks at the door. While she did this, Adam had a perplexed look at his otherwise calm face, curious why she was placing one lily he gave her on the floor.

_This is silly_ , she thought, _but I... should honor them. And hope they found peace if they have a soul or were truly aware. Praying don't do anything, but I suppose old habits die hard. Or, it's just me being human._

Lilia made her silent prayer before returning to Adam's side.

"OK, lets go."

"Why...?" He asked while pointing at the flowers.

Nervous feet shuffled, and a blush formed on her cheeks. "To honor the machines here. And...-a small hope."

"Hope? For what?"

A small gracious smile crossed her full lips. "I'll... let that be a mystery. Besides, I don't wanna jinx it. Anyway, you said you wanted to show me somethin'?"

He gave a hesitant nod before he resumed giving her a piggy-back ride.

As their footsteps faded from the graves of the machines and the alien's tomb the stifling atmosphere became less constricting. The echos of the past fell on deafness and it all became still, the moment converging on soft, fragrant petals. For the first time in six centuries, it remembered beauty.

Lilia held on to Adam as the elevator lurched downward. Starkly remembering her dislike of elevators. Hyper aware of the screeches and pops of the mechanisms taking them on their downward decent.

She shuttered as the elevator came to a sudden halt. A relieved breath escaped her mouth as the doors opened, revealing a bright white before her eyes adjusted and Adam walked into the space.

Her brain stalled as it took in the grandeur of the giant space.

Even though it was missing the colors, it was a replica of an old cathedral with high columns, a vaulted ceiling and large windows that had stained glass if colored; rows and rows of pews to seat a hundred or more parishioners, saints and angels decorated the columns which looked at the floor and parishioners, and at the front was a statue for the altar. She could have sworn she'd seen that statue before but couldn't place it.

Adam continued to walk toward the alter's location, he helped her sit on the third pew from the front. She adjusted herself as she continued to look at the architecture in awe as he sat next to her. Flabbergasted at the grandness while conflicted she was within a place of worship even though it wasn't one technically.

"This is real cool Adam!" She finally said. "Who built this? You? And what's it made of?"

A cocky smile formed on his lips. "Out of these." He said as he right hand commanded cubed blocks to detach from the pew in front. Lilia's hazel-green eyes rounded, and she gasped as he showed her the floating blocks that could fit in her palm. "They are constructed of silicon and carbon and I can connect to them through the network." He explained. "Whatever I conjure up in my mind, I can command these to take shape."

Curiosity whirred in her mind as she reached for one of the floating cubes. The first thing she noticed was how cool to the touch it is, it wasn't ice-cold but enough for it to chill her fingers. The next was how weightless and delicate it felt. She deduced mechanisms were inside the casing, but given that notion it logically should have some weight to it. Now, as her hands ran across the smooth surface, it was hard and had no give to it. The cube floated back with the others above Adam's hand and rejoined with the pew.

"Well that makes buildin' easier." She said.

"I would imagine so. I built this place out of my desire to understand you humans. It's rather... spiritual, don't you think?" He stared at her, waiting for her conclusion.

She didn't _have_ a reply to his question. Just being within a religious setting, even though she is amazed by the architecture, put her at an unease. Even more so than the machine and alien cemetery.

"Yeah... I guess so..." She answered.

Silver brows furrowed at her lackluster response. "Is something the matter?"

She looked away abashed and a faint pinkness formed on her cheeks. "Oh! Um, no. It's just... I never thought I'd step foot in a church again. Er, well, a replica of one... but still."

His reddish eyes widened with understanding. "You're religious?"

Hazel-green eyes rolled, and a muffled groan came from her throat. "Tch, _no_. But I grew up in a religious house. Sunday service, Wednesday Bible study, and Saturdays were choir practice in the morning and Youth activities in the afternoon, before bed we'd read passages, and anytime there was a revival or event we'd be the first ones there." She explained, resurfacing her irked emotions and memories.

Adam hummed before he ascertained, "You sound as though you disliked participating even if they were common activities."

"Actually... no." She admitted. "As a kid I loved it."

"Oh? What changed?"

She turned her head back to look at him, sadness and life's harsh lessons etching her eyes. "A lot of things. Don't wanna discuss it right now. But in the end I found out preachers have glass jaws. And I wasn't welcome back, and I wasn't goin' back." Lilia closed her eyes and emitted a long, weary sigh. That sounded too familiar to recent events. "I'm sorry you prolly meant to show off and be a flirt, and here I am ruinin' it."

Adam formed a nervous smile and gave her encouragement. "Oh no! Please continue. I'm curious to discern of what childhood is for humans. Machines and androids do not... well... have the capability for childhood and the process of maturity into adulthood. I've found books for human children and read papers on the developmental steps. But a firsthand account? Please, humor me."

Lilia crooked a half-smile and couldn't help but to tease him. "Oh? Not curious to learn more about me?"

He gave a chuckle and a coy smile before he admitted, "Well... there's always that."

Her right hand scratched her scalp, reasoning of the best way to describe it. "Not much to say, I barely remember it. That happens when you grow older. What I remember pretty well was my mom's funeral when I was six."

"Your mom died when you were a child?"

She made an affirmative nod. "Yeah... dad and my family kept it hidden, and I was too young to understand or notice it. I knew she was sick. But it wasn't until I was older that it registered that she had cancer and what she was goin' through came from chemo and radiation."

"Cancer? Um... some records I found mention it was a common phenomenon in humans."

"Yeah, there was always charities goin' on for research to find a cure." She sighed at the distant memories.

"How did you process her death since you didn't understand? I'm sure the human adults would have explained it to you."

"They did in a way I'd understand since I was so young. But they also mixed it with the religious beliefs and left me more confused. I thought she went somewhere to get better and she'll come home. It surprised me to see her at the funeral home, but she looked asleep and I didn't understand why people were cryin'. 'Why you cryin' mom's gonna go get better.' I remember sayin' to them. Dad took me home after I said that and explained the best he could that mom was dead and dead people when they go to Heaven don't come home. In my mind I thought he was jokin' since she was over there sleepin'. It wasn't until the next year when we visited her grave I realized what they were tryin' to explain.

"This sounds terrible but... I barely remember her, as my mom I mean. I have pictures, so I know what she looked like. But all that 'mom stuff' I missed out on or she did what she could give how sick she was. The only person in the family that took on the role as my mom was my grandma and to an extent my dad. My dad was never the same after my mom died."

"How so?"

Hazel-green eyes became distant in her recollection. "He became protective and even more religious. Lookin' back I can see why but as a kid I hated it. It's one of those things where you can't put yourself in someone's shoes—or well, er—see it from their perspective and I was young and dumb. My mom was the love of his life. They were high-school sweethearts and got married once they graduated. Mom went to become a teacher and dad was a steel worker." She paused for a moment and reached into her purse and pulled out her iPad. After turning it on, she quickly flipped through the photographs. After finding the right picture, she showed Adam.

It was a scanned image of her parents wedding picture when they were fresh out of high-school. Her mom wore a simple, white gown that poofed at her slender shoulders. Her dad wore a sharp-dressed suit that accentuated his huskiness. Both were intertwining there different skinned hands around the bouquet of white and red roses. A deep smile of happiness showed their white teeth; along with the dimples in her mom's cheeks and puffed her dad's fresh, short-cropped beard. A twinkle in their shimmering eyes. Her mom's was a dark brown and her dad's a medium blue-green. Her dad's brown, slicked back hair that stopped at his shoulders. While her mom's black pressed, crimped and poofed hair in the typical 80s style. On top of her head held the crown of white roses and the sheer veil.

To anyone who saw this photograph, it was the ideal portrait of a young couple who were very much in love and had their long lives ahead of them.

"That's them at their wedding in 1981." She explained. "I've always liked that picture of them."

He hummed before raising the device to hold it next to her head. Reddish eyes darted between the screen and her face.

"You have more of your mother's physical traits in the face with bone structure and fat distribution. Although your eye color is more towards your father's. Your skin tone is a mixture of both of theirs. I am unsure of hair resemblance since you have thick curly hair and neither of them do in this photograph. I'm guessing one or both artificially straightened their hair to achieve the desired beauty standard effect. From my inquiries, I understand hair styling is a common practice."

Lilia snorted and rolled her eyes at his more clinical way of saying she was mixed. On further consideration he wouldn't understand the context of her being 'mixed' without her expositioning a long social, cultural, and historical lesson. None of which she had energy or time in explaining in current circumstances. Although she concluded he's way of describing her physical appearance was due to genetics and phenotypes and not other factors.

So instead, she replied, "It's what they've told me. If you—well, um—if things had been different, you'd see I have my dad's hardheaded personality."

He nodded and gave the device back to her, and while she put it away he asked, "I am aware of the human ceremony of 'weddings' as a binding statement of two humans as mates for life, although that isn't always the case. I am confused why humans separate in a divorce if being monogamous is highly regarded."

"Adam, you're tanglin' yourself in a series of complex behaviors which boils to individual cases at different point in time, and I don't have time to explain at present."

"Oh." He downcasted his eyes disappointed his curiosity needed to wait. "Well, I'm assuming they married young, so did you have siblings?"

She shook her head, her eyes downcast. "No. They wanted a whole gaggle of children. But, my mom... she had a hard time conceivin' and when she did, she'd miscarry. They tried what was available, and were gonna give up since it was becoming a strain on them—physically and emotionally—until I came along. And, well, it took all mom had to go to term with me. After I was born she couldn't bear children anymore."

Adam's red eyes looked away in apology. "Oh, I'm sorry. I realize child-bearing and raising is a major part of human life, as with all living creatures."

"It's all right," she said as she shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder what I'd be like if I had—I don't know—five or six brothers and sisters to fight and play with. I... I did have one though, me and her weren't blood."

His reddish eyes lit up in understanding, but then turned into a frown. "You 'did'? As in past tense?"

Petite hands balled into fists and she looked away, her throat tightening. "We were sisters... up until the end. It seems as though it was just yesterday... even though it was ten years ago." She said cryptically.

"Lilia?"

She sucked in a harsh breath and wiped away a single tear that was forming. The cruel memory echoing the crash of metal, broken glass and her single scream that pierced through Lilia's alcohol and pill induced mind. "I don't wanna talk about it. What happened to her she didn't deserve and I regret it. Especially to her baby boy."

His pale hand reached out to her in comfort, clasping her mangled hand still balled up in a fist.

She had to force the harsh memory out of her mind and the promise she could no longer keep.

"Anyway! Um, what else did you wanna talk about?"

Adam, who was far _too_ curious of the emotional memory triggered her reaction but learned from experience that if she ended a topic, there was no convincing to return. So instead, he asked questions on school, that singular experience which every child considered normal. Even holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. At times she was vague on painful parts of her past, she wanted to leave it behind, to make peace with it.

By the end she was becoming tired both physical and emotional. Just sitting in a pew talking of life caused tangled feelings to coil in her mind and breast. From her mom she hardly remembered, her loving grandma, the dad she didn't have time to make amends with before his stroke, the boy she swore to protect, her deceased husband, and a lifetime of regret. All of them gone now. The Earth kept spinning and didn't shed a tear for them. The experiences she had before arriving didn't mean a damn thing.

She missed them too much.

And she didn't _belong_ in this world.

"That's a serious expression Lilia." Adam's tenor broke her gloomy thoughts and brought her back to her current situation.

She shook her head in dismissal. "Nothin'. It's nothin' Adam. All this talk just got me thinkin'." Clearing her throat and sitting straighter she asked, "What time is it?"

He gave her a concerned expression before he replied, "An hour before dawn."

An unwanted half-smile formed on her lips and she said, "Damn, we've been talkin' that long? Time flies. For... just a moment I forgot..." her voice trailing and the weight of her circumstance returning.

"Hm?"

A solemn sigh exhaled her throat. She needed to tell him. "Adam, I'm sorry for earlier, for worrying you. You see." Lilia had to explain, she'd promised. "The reason I'm no longer welcome anymore is—the Council of Humanity on the moon—they don't agree to my activities with you and so they—well, the Commander at YoRHa—told me that if I continue to see you that... that I'll be classified as an enemy."

Just as the recovery room back at the Resistance camp, deaf silence fell.

"What?" Adam whispered, unbelieving at what he had just heard.

"Yeah." Lilia exhaled, feeling little relief at what she'd shared and concern for Adam of how he might react. "That's why I needed to leave."

Once the initial shock wore off, Adam sputtered, "Lilia! They...! You...! You shouldn't...!"

She waved away his protests. "Please Adam, I've made my choice and I told the YoRHa Commander. I'll take the consequences."

"Where will you go?"

"That's where you come in to play." She grabbed his hand in a vice-like grip and implored, "You are familiar with this world. Do you know if any place without YoRHa? Some place far away from the war?"

The shocked machine continued to stare dumbfounded at her. Reddish eyes darting, and he could detect a tremble in his exoskeleton. "I... may... but reconsider—"

"No." Brows and eyes pierced in firm determination. "No I've made up my mind. If this 'Council of Humanity' is easily willin' to kill off a member of an endangered species—one if their own—who refuse to let the world know of the aliens. To end this war? Then I want no part of it. I'd rather stay with you. So please, wherever you have in mind, take me. I don't care."

"Lilia." The caution is his tone wasn't lost on her.

"Please..." She inched toward Adam on the pew and hugged him tight across his chest. "Please..." She whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I've accepted that I'm stuck here. My old life is gone. Along with my friends and family from back then. But, I don't wanna face this world without you." She tightened her hold on the machine. "So please... take me away."

Strong machine arms held the distraught human woman tighter than he usually did. It comforted her being so wrecked with nerves, hoping that wherever he took her to kept them both away from the war. And unfortunately, away from the androids and machines she called friends. In the end, it was for the best to prevent them from doing something they will regret.

Adam, for the final time, teleported her away.


	14. The Garden of Mankind

With a cautious breath, the yank of the teleport knotted her stomach. It wasn't enough for her to vomit, but she still let out a long, painful groan. Hands holding onto the machine's soft, button-up shirt.

Once she had calmed, her eyes scanned to the left where he had taken her. Her mouth fell at the picturesque scene. A wisp of color painting across the sky in a fine light blue-gray, to yellow and a magenta red where the sun was due to rise behind the blurry outline of murky-purple mountains far out into the distance. Wispy clouds streaked across the expanse of sky in bright pinks and purples. Faint dots of remnants of stars peeked from the atmospheric curtain. The air warmed from the impending heat from the sun.

The pre-dawn light bathed the landscape in a dull purple-blue hue and light fog pooled around the low-lying areas. On rows along haphazard rows were trees. The fragrant aroma she detected from the light wind held a fruity scent reminiscent of apples. The foliage and grass thick from being unmanicured throughout the long centuries. She could see the shapes of deer and dots of bouncing rabbits darting between the fragrant trees and shrubbery from her vantage point. The song birds and crows were loud in their chirps and caws; as were the crickets in the last of their calls.

Lilia turned the other way, still holding on to Adam and gasped. She stared at the remnants of a single-story house constructed out of thick, beige-gray stone that expanded at least eighty feet wide. Time withered the roof, doors, and windows; the wood, glass, and shingles eroded leaving only the walls and foundation remaining. Coarse ivy grew on the right side of the house. A flower garden she stood within spilled across the yard in a patchwork of a dozen or more colors; their heady scent perfuming the air while bees buzzed as they set out to their instinctive task.

Despite the beauty of the scene surrounding her, it reminded Lilia of the human absence who maintained the grand stone house and surrounding land. The weeds needed pulling in the sprawling garden, bushes needed pruning, and young trees needed the axe. They stood on the cracked patchwork of concrete that led from the house into the driveway. A rusty four-door truck sat lonely its interior, wheels, and doors missing leaving a hollow metal shell.

"Adam... where...?" Her voice low to absorb her new surroundings.

He made a half-cocked smile. "According to the network archives, this is a small apple orchard thousands of years ago. We're four hundred and eighty-two kilometers north-west from the city ruins."

"Um, how far?"

"Oh, sorry. Three hundred miles. Is this far enough? The network hasn't detected YoRHa or even the android Resistance for the next hundred miles for the last few decades. It's a dead zone to machines, the few remaining are low-level and pose little threat."

_I'm so far away from everyone._ She pinched her brows, the realization of what she asked of him knotted in her chest. _This is what I wanted. I need to make this work. I can't go back._

Worry and anxiety pushed below her heart before she said, "What of water sources? Animals?"

"There is a stream running through the middle of the orchard. It formed when a dam thirty miles away failed a thousand years ago. As for animals, I'm assuming you are asking about predators?"

She nodded.

He sighed in regret, "I will not lie, you might face coyotes, wolves, and perhaps bears. However, those predators are much smaller than the ones closer to the coast and are not as aggressive."

A deep groan escaped her chest. _Well, it might not be paradise. But, as long as I keep my distance I'll be OK. And what should I have expected? A water source and abundant and prey? No wonder. Prolly have to deal with opossums and raccoons too._

"Well, it can't be helped. And thank you, for bringin' me here."

He nodded. "Of course. This was the only place I could think of that might have what you needed to live." A brief pause before he added, "I admit it's not perfect."

She laughed without mirth. "Nothin' ever is. But a few homey touches couldn't hurt." Then, she pointed at the house; her mangled hand intertwined with his. "Let's look inside."

Before she could take a step, her stomach growled.

"It seems your body demands nutrition Lilia." Adam gave a cocked grin at her body's response.

She responded with a frown before turning towards the apple trees. "I guess we should go to the orchard first."

Adam then knelt, offering her a ride to reprieve her of her sore ankle and Lilia took the offer. At full speed, Adam ran toward the orchard. It only took him a few minutes to reach the tree line. The heady perfume of apples fermenting overwhelmed her. A seductive, tempting voice in her head told her to eat the sour fruit. Her hands shook. The old temptation seducing her with the evil ambrosia.

_Lilia_ , it cooed. _Lilia don't you remember Markus? You left that good little boy alone. You took his mother and now he's without you. Don't worry, I'll give you forgiveness. Take from me, I want to be within your sweet body again. I'll take all your worries, all your fears._

She was ten years older and stronger, and once more, she pushed back at her former addiction. _You'll take more from me than my worry. I never needed you to face them._

_You're alone Lilia. All alone. Alone. Alone. Alone._

When she dislodged from Adam's back she walked with a purpose to a rotten apple and stomped on it with her uninjured foot. The knuckles on her right hand turned white from gripping the metal staff hard. Reddish eyes gave her brash action to the blackened apple an analytical stare.

She turned to face the curious machine with a small smile. "Well? You gonna help me pick some?"

He wanted to know why Lilia crushed the fruit, but she was already walking to the nearest tree and reaching for one of the low-hanging sweet fruit. The silver-haired machine put the question at the back of his mind as he joined her. The apples were a blushed red with a yellow-green spot on the bottom. A darker red striped the fruit from the stalk to the calyx. They were the right size that fit within her palm.

After picking a few and putting them in her purse, she bit into one. She about cried with how sweet and tangy it was. A long, pleasured moan vibrated in her breast. The crisp, yellow-white pulp lingered on her palate as she chewed and swallowed and savored the distinctive flavor. After the first bite she bit into the fruit again, her hunger demanded her to chew with vigor. After eating to the core of the delectable apple, she let it fall to the ground and yanked off another from the tree, repeating the process again until her stomach was full. Adam observed her while eating one of the ripe fruits but at a more languid pace.

"God... that was so _good_." Satisfaction threaded her voice. Her lips sticky with the apple's juices as her moist, pink tongue ran across her full, glistening lips to lap the rest of the nectar off.

"Apparently. And what have you learned?"

"Huh? Learned?" She gave him a very confused expression.

He inspected her like she had grown a second-head. "Some data I've uncovered suggested you humans gained great intelligence from eating fruit like that apple. What have you learned?"

Lilia gave a slow blink before she processed his statement and couldn't contain her laughter. "Adam... _a-haha!_ What 'data' gave you _that_ idea?! _A-haha!_ I'm sorry! But! Oh my god!"

At her laughter Adam frowned, confounded in the humor he didn't recongnize. Then, he materialized the book that suggested it and showed it to her. At seeing the cover her laughter renewed a hundred fold to where tears streamed her cheeks.

"I fail to see the humor in this." He remarked through pursed lips.

After a minute her laughter died and Lilia was better prepared to tell him the bad news and why it was funny to her. "I'm sorry, but that's not a human history or evolutionary book. That's a religious text. It's _fiction_. Remember how I told you I grew up in a religious house? That's the book we read from. It's called a _'Bible'_. And let me take a guess: Because you didn't realize it was fiction, you thought we gained knowledge like, er, Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden story?"

With the way his eyes looked away and the abashed expression, she hit the nail on the head.

"Look... Adam, I don't blame you for assumin' the statements in that book as factual. Hell, I'm pretty ignorant about you guys myself, but... that's not how it works for us humans. I'm sorry. I was just laughin' at the idea that, um," Lilia scratched her head in thought. "Well—jeez how do I explain this? That someone, who knows nothin' about humans, comes across a book and mistakes it for somethin' it isn't? It was at your expense, but, yeah. It doesn't surprise me you found a _Bible_ considerin' how popular the religion of Christianity is."

"Oh... I see..." Adam looked at the book in his hands with self-mortification.

Now Lilia felt terrible for her outburst of laughter. "Hey," she said while touching his arm, "I'm sorry for laughin'."

He shook his head. "No, it's all right. I was just—nevermind—thank you for telling me what this was."

"Next time, I'll do it with a little less laughter and more understandin'. And I guess I'd never see the day when something so... common from my time would be important. Since, ya know, you've said not much remains of us here and any discoveries is treasured. I'm guessin' when us humans escaped to the moon we took a lot of that stuff with us."

"I'll learn more one day."

Then, an idea came to her head, and she giggled.

Adam frowned at her chortle. "What's so funny now?"

"What? Oh no! It's nothin' funny, it's just well, you are one lucky, curious little machine."

"What?" He said raising his brows.

"Adam... I have a lot of that stuff on my iPad."

"'Stuff'? What do you mean?" His eyes searching and hopeful.

"Remember what we discussed about school earlier? The level above is called 'college' were we specialize in a field when we become adults. Well, I wanted to be a geneticist, but... turns out I'm not much of one and I was better suited for software and computers. But, I've never lost my interest in the sciences. I haven't deleted those books and videos on there, you can read them if you want. They can explain how we humans work better than I can since they're experts and I'm not."

"You... you do? You'll let me?"

"Well, yeah. I mean. It's no big deal—"

He then materialized the _Bible_ off his hands and rushed at her. His hands grabbing onto her shoulders and pure excitement on his face. "Please! Let me see!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down Mr. Machinehead!" Lilia exclaimed. "I'll be more than happy to show you, but we have other things to do first."

His face down-turned in realization and disappointment while letting go of his hold on her shoulders. "Oh... sorry. I was just..."

She smiled and chuckled. "It's all right, I can see why you would be excited at the prospect. I promise I'll let you look at it." Lilia then readjusted her purse full of apple and other belongings. "Well... I think I got enough apples in my pack for the rest of the day. Can you show me where this stream is? I need to know how to get to it."

The silver-haired machine nodded. "It's not far, and it runs perpendicular to the tree rows." He said as he knelt. She climbed up and watched the trees zip passed her as he ran.

True to his word, in a straight line from the orchard edge sat the stream. It was a slower paced flow that allowed it to be a darker color due to the sediments and mud. It was much wider than the stream near Pascal's village, but she guessed it is two hundred yards from where she located to the other side.

"You know how deep it is? What does the network say?"

After a minute he said. "I don't know myself, and the database doesn't have that information."

"Well, I'll figure it out tomorrow when I need to refill my canteens. Let's go back to the house now."

Adam nodded, and they returned to the dilapidated house. Once again he gave her a piggy-back ride and ran full speed. At the stone steps he let her walk herself.

They stepped up the crumbling stone steps up to the covered archway and past the entry that was wide enough for double doors. Directly ahead she saw the entry way for the backyard was wide for double doors. Inside the wood, insulation, and drywall, which separated the spaces, had eroded. Only the major sectioning of the house for support remained due to the thick, one-and-a-half-foot stone still in place. Patches of fuzzy moss lined the mortar, discolored stains streaked the walls and bunches of dead leaves littered the floor. The odor of animal droppings along with a decay of an animal permeated the air. The same ivy which grew on the right-side of the house spilled inside and onto the stone floor.

Seven stone pillars stood in the rectangular space once she had entered. They were half eroded, the stones sprawled on the foundation made of the same material. Lilia did a precursor eye sweep of the enormous single-story house from left to right. From the left-most stone wall all the way to the right-most spanned sixty feet. No wonder they constructed columns in the foyer area for support.

Her mind fancying that space as an office if drywall were to separate it using the three pillars which made a sideway L-shape. However, behind the second pillar on her right she saw the shape of a giant fireplace. Her mind laser focused at the discovery, sent her walking toward it.

The area that housed the fireplace looked thirty feet across and was a living room due to the central focus of the six-foot-wide fireplace. The top third of the chimney was missing due to age, and she saw a bird fly out of the opening. Where the firewood would have been, was black with soot and the deposits of caked bird droppings. Lilia wasn't sure if the fireplace was suitable for use. Maybe if the gunk inside got removed, played animal control on that bird, and cleaned the base? It was worth a shot. If not, the foundation was stone and anything flammable disintegrated from time.

"This thing is filthy." Adam remarked.

She nodded in agreement. "No shit Captain Obvious. But, if it gets cleaned out I could prolly use it." Lilia explained as she walked over to the right side of the fireplace and deposited her heavy backpack and purse. Her back, shoulder and ankle sighed in relief of the removal of the extra weight. "It'll protect any fires I start, and well, that's what fireplaces are for, anyway."

He crossed his arms and pointed up at the open sky. "You realize there is no roof, right? You won't be much protected from the elements."

She sighed while looking upward at the brightening blue-gray sky. "Yeah, you're right on that. If anythin' you can bring me the tent from our old meetin' place here. If you don't mind."

"Not at all if you need it."

"Thanks. Let's look around the house and out back before you do." She suggested. "We might find something useful."

They explored the left-side of the house first. Stone mortar completely enclosed the room next to the living room with a ten-foot-long arched entryway in facing the fireplace. Adam asked the sections purpose, and she hypothesized it a kitchen by the plumbing holes for a sink, electrical sockets, and kitchens were next to living rooms.

Continuing onward beyond the kitchen were three sections, which had a hallway separating the kitchen and them. The first room she came into contact with is a bathroom and laundry by even more plumbing and the remnants of a blue-green tile on the floor and the large tub. Left of the bathroom and next to the columned foyer is the master suite. The right of the laundry is another room, but much larger than the master suite and had double windows. She thought it might be a den or spare room. However, it had thick, course ivy growing out of a corner and found the source of the rotting odor.

Lilia scrunched up her nose. Not fond of being near the gross carcass that—with her luck—had _fleas_ on it. "And if you wanna know what I think this space was for it could've been anythin', but right now it's Meeko's funeral home. _Bleh!_ "

With a shake to rid herself of the rotting raccoon corpse out of her mind, she walked away to the other side of the house.

A family lived here, a large one by the three equal-sized, fifteen-foot square bedrooms, two of which had a bathroom. Unfortunately, for room two, the far corner was separating from the rest of the house. The foundation had cracked six feet from that corner and the section dipped and going outside the house. In room three the same ivy that grew in the large, columned foyer and had spilled into the bedroom. Other than the damage in room two, the stone house was intact, for the most part.

After finishing her walk-through of the house, she and Adam went back into the central room.

She chuckled. "Not much of a house tour, but I'll take it. Never thought I'd be a homeowner ten thousand years late."

"I don't know Lilia." Adam's face scrunched in doubt.

"Oh c'mon. Just needs a few homey touches and who needs a roof over my head?" It wasn't the best thing to say, but a little pick-me-up couldn't hurt.

"I'd feel better if you had something over your head when I have to leave." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Yeah. I know. Well..." She looked out the backyard entranceway. "Let's look around the property. Maybe we can salvage something or find a better spot."

Adam sighed, but nodded.

Hazel-green eyes narrowed at the _tone_ of that sigh. "What was with that?"

"Hm? Nothing. I didn't expect this."

"'This'? What do you mean by 'this'?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind. Forget it."

Lilia slumped her shoulders. She wasn't sure what brought that mood from him. However, from her lack in sleep last night, an achy body, and the emotional roller-coaster she endured the last twenty-four hours the last thing she needed was her only support system to be, well, bratty.

Clanking her metal pole on the stone, placing her mangled hand on her cocked hip and giving him a piercing stare, she huffed out, "Adam it's _barely_ morning. Day one isn't over yet by a long shot. You _were_ the one who brought me here."

Adam clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. His silver brows furrowed, and Lilia detected a faint pinkness where his pupils were.

Mortified at sounding like a brat herself, she recovered. Loosening her posture and shaking her head. "Christ. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a bitch. Look," She walked towards him and held his gauntlet hand with her mangled one. With all she could muster she explained to him without sounding like an ass. "It's not that I'm ungrateful. And realized it wasn't gonna be easy wherever you took me. But I need to salvage what I can and know what's around me. You at least covered two of my basic needs, and you're right, I do need something over my head."

His expression softened and the faint pink in his pupil faded away. With gentleness, he reciprocated holding her hand. "Then let us see what we can find. I want adequate protection for you by sundown."

A broad smile came across her face as she leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his right cheek. "OK then!" A little nudge from her prompted him to follow to the backyard, their hands still intertwined. "Think of it this way, we're what we called 'house hunting' and now we got ourselves a fixer-upper. It's... somethin' that every, um," a faint blush formed across her cheeks, "couple does eventually." She then chuckled. "Only we don't have to worry with mountains of paperwork and gettin' a loan."

She could tell thoughts were shifting through his eyes of what she said to him as they walked passed the double entry for the backyard. Her own thoughts rummaged over her new surroundings.

_I wonder what little Markus would say. Well, he wasn't so little when I... came here._ Her thoughts trailed further with each step. _Something that every couple does... when they want to start a family, like I wanted. Markus, what would you have thought of Adam? You adored Bradley when you were little; I hope you would give Adam the same._ A small smile graced her lips. _'Uncle Adam' has a nice ring to it._ Then a frown formed, the sting of wishful thinking pierced her reverie. _Let them rest Lilia._ With a little pressing, she let go of her trailing thoughts to concentrate on the here and now.

Whatever the previous owners grew at this portion of the wide expanse of the land had overgrown the land. The foliage grew as far as she could see to the left and right, unsure how far back it went, and it came up to the house. At a precursor glance she could see thick vegetation, pockets of red and yellow flowers, and spruces of young trees. Her boots clicked on the haphazard remains of the brick path that had shoots of grass growing from the gaps between, moss, or delicate vines.

As they walked along, small animals from squirrels, rabbits, and birds scurried away. Lilia made the mental note to catch a rabbit since she saw abundance of them and they were close to the house.

Further along the brick path she saw low-growing bushes which looked like ivy and several rabbits eating from them on her right. The patch must have spanned a hundred yards or more she guessed. Curious to what they were eating and deduced if they liked it she could use it as bait if she wanted to catch one. She let go of Adam's hand and walked toward these ivy looking plants, the rabbits nearest to her scampered away. His footsteps close behind her.

It only took her a second to register the reason the rabbits were eating from these plants.

"Cucumbers!" She shouted, surprised and elated at the find.

It was unmistakable with their long cylinder bodies, medium green color, and dimpled skin. Lilia knelt on the dirt, dropped her staff, grabbed one off the vine, knocked off the dirt and bit into it uncaring that she was still full of the apples she ate earlier. She moaned in pleasure from the cool, crisp flavor and crunchy flesh.

Her machine companion knelt beside her, inspecting the plant. "So, these are cucumber plants?" He asked.

The satisfied human woman nodded with a bright smile. "Did you know this was back here?"

He shook his head. "I was more interested in the apple orchard than the stone house and surrounding land. Whatever we find here is new to me. I am pleased you've another source of nutrition for your diet."

"You can say that again. Wouldn't be surprisin' if the... er, previous owners planted these thousands of years ago and they've still thrived." She then got up, dusted off her knees, and grabbed her staff; determined to keep exploring the garden. "Let's continue. They probably planted more veggies. I didn't know these sorts of plants kept comin' back."

Adam made a humming sound before he said. "According to the data base, humans genetically engineered hardier plant varieties such as these that didn't require much maintenance, the leaves produced a repellent for insects, and re-populated themselves if planted in a specific area. Those cucumbers are an example."

"Sounds a better than the ones from my time. Not that I know much about, er, farm work. But, first time for everything. And did you say the leaves produce a bug repellent?"

He nodded. "I assume it was to keep crop losses to a minimum to better feed the local human population who did not engage in large-scale agriculture. Or, in this case, to feed a small human family to eliminate the need for travel. The repellant works on pest insects and not pollinators."

"Well damn, no wonder I don't see swarms of insects, and that gives me an idea." She picked one of the fuzzy leaves and rubbed a small spot on her left arm with the leaf.

Adam narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Testin'. If these leaves have that bug repellent, I could use it to keep 'em offa me. But... I don't wanna break out in a rash, so I'm testin' it on a small spot on my arm. I'd rather a coin-sized rash be on my arm than all over my face, neck and arms."

The silver-haired machine nodded in agreement. After that they continued their exploration of the garden. Even going beyond the brick path. And yes, they found more garden plants. Spring onions, squash, tomatoes and even two grape vines. Seeing the edible variety gave her ideas, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself. Even though it gave her even more determination to make this place work.

It took a few hours for the two to explore the vast backyard. At the end they found bodies of deactivated machines riddled with holes that looked like those made from a machine gun the Resistance force used. They had been there for a long time due to having moss and vines on them even if they had no rust.

"Those deactivated over a hundred years ago." Adam explained before she could ask.

"Oh good. I was a little worried."

Then she looked at the long legs of the twenty-five-foot-tall biped machine. The thigh portion was about as tall as Adam with a large hole at the top and bottom where it would have attached to the body and calf part via a giant screw.

An idea formed in her head as she smiled.

"Adam, I have an idea. Tell me what you think."

She then explained her idea to him, even using a crude drawing on the dirt to better illustrate it. He provided his own ideas and advice. Once they decided on the best course of action, he yanked off the two thigh segments of the machine, his strength allowing him to do so as he held one in each arm as he dragged them back to the house. Lilia walked with him, hoping that the plan worked.

Once at the stone house, Lilia let him go in through the entry way first. The metal legs screeching on the stone and creating white lines. He dropped them with a loud clang on the opposite wall of the fireplace. Then eight feet away from the fireplace he summoned that golden-yellow energy. His mastery of that energy allowed him to pack it tight and swirl like a drill. With precision, he pierced the stone floor with that energy. Lilia covered her ears to protect the drums inside from the loud screech. Watching the stone dust waft out. Then, ten feet from that hole he repeated the process. With ease—thanks to his machine strength—he lifted the metal machine part vertical and placed it in one hole. Only the bottom third of the part went in and the same repetition with the other part.

Then, Adam teleported away for a few minutes. On his return he had with him two beams that looked like head pins that were four feet long. He set those at the fireplace then, just like did with the poles in the foundation, he drilled, but it was at the same wall as the fireplace. The first hole was two feet from the fireplace and just above his six-foot tall self and it was at a slight angle. The same process repeated at the other side. Adam then put each of the head pin machine parts through the hole, only the rounded, ball end sticking out. Next he ran to the other side of the wall. She heard him grunt from exertion and listened to a squeal of bent metal for both beams.

As he came back around, he examined the fireplace and looked up the chimney stack. Summoning golden energy, he scraped off the gunk at the bottom. Then, he made it turn ninety degrees and go up the chimney. The angry caws of the birds echoed as they vacated along with the mess, nest materials and whatever else got flung out into the garden. Observant reddish eyes glanced up the chimney again and smiled satisfied.

"How's it look?" She asked, hopeful.

A silver brow cocked as he replied, "You won't have to worry about birds for a while. Nothing in there except the stone."

A wide smile came across her face. "Thanks Adam."

He nodded and said, "I'll be back with your tent."

"Remember to save as much of that rope as possible."

"Of course." He assured before teleporting away.

While he was gone, she took the twine out of her backpack and waited at the step on the fireplace. Having a moment to observe the stone surface that no longer had the soot and caked on bird droppings. Excitement bubbling in her chest.

Quietly, she listened to the surrounding sounds. From the chirps of the birds and squirrels and the drowning buzz of the cicadas. A soft breeze danced through the house and rustled the foliage outside. The low _wooo_ noise of the wind passing through gave her the creeps. She hummed to fill the void.

Her thoughts turned dark and solemn in the quiet loneliness. In a stone home of solitude housed the only human on Earth. She watched the crumbling shadows of mankind. Just as she began to push the thoughts from her mind, a familiar voice echoed in the wind.

_"Hey Auntie, you don't mind if I bring the team over do ya? This is such a cool place you got with Uncle Adam."_

Her hands shook as the phantom image of her nephew walked into view. He was just as she remembered; tall, dark skinned, the beginnings of a mustache, cracking adolescent voice, and his gray eyes. Fear sank it's claws into her psyche as her heart sped, but also a deep longing which outweighed her fear.

_The team?_

_"Yeah, the football team. Remember? We've already started practice, though school is in a few weeks. Freshman over here!"_ He puffed out his chest in a display of his newly discovered masculine powers and his typical smile beamed.

Lips quivered of the last conversation he had with him.

_I should have said 'yes'._

_"Um, you did Auntie that's why I'm on the team. You OK?"_

Her hands balled into fists at cruel thoughts tricking her. Hopes, dreams, and people who brought comfort and happiness now twisted a sharp knife into her heart as her chest contracted in pain. Stomach rolling in nausea and her throat constricted as cold hands threatened to pull the life from her. All that remained are warped contortions of human normalcy in creatures made of metal and wires.

_"Big man Jack is starting school too Lily. Four-year-old kindergarten."_

The loud laughter of a boy echoed the stone house. Their ghosts materializing from the leaves and stones from the house. The man she loved gave her a crooked smile with a little boy holstered on his shoulder. He is just as she remembered—short-cropped hair, dark brown eyes, tall, muscular build, the jagged scar on his left temple, and wearing civilian clothes.

But Jack...

He is just as she imagined. A sweet, healthy boy with dark wavy hair, his father's brown eyes, and bronze skin a few shades lighter than her's. Skin unmarred by red and blue—so full of life she could not give him when he needed it most.

_That's what you wanted to call him if he—_

_"We did baby."_

_"Ah! Mommy he's ticklin' me! Ahaha!"_

An unwanted smile cracked on her face from her husband's and son's antics. The dream that never came true for her.

_My boys..._

_"I'm not a boy anymore Auntie."_ Markus said as he continued to puff his chest.

_"Just because you got fuzz on your upper lip and two chin hairs doesn't make you a man Markus."_ Bradley's ghost said while rolling his eyes and flipping their son from his shoulder to the ground.

_"Again daddy!"_ Little Jack said while raising his arms.

_"Sorry, all out. Why don't you and Markus go out into the backyard? I'm sure he's got some football moves to show ya."_

The man gave the teen a stern expression, and he played along, knowing what he meant.

_"C'mon little dude, I wanna show you a tackle!"_

The boy smiled oblivious to the groups undertone. _"OK!"_ he stopped to wave back at her as his little hand grabbed Markus's. _"Bye mommy!"_

The longing within her welled up as they walked out the back entryway and faded. Lilia wanted to cry out to hold her little boy one last time, but a cursed lump froze her voice.

Once she swallowed the jagged lump she said, _Why are you here?_

_"Why you still holdin' on?"_

_Bradley..._

He shook his head. _"I got the boys, you worry about you. Besides, someone's got your six since I,"_ her husband paused unsure if he should say it, _"well, as long as someone does. And if he don't I'll cannibalize him into a piss-tube."_ A long smile etched on his face, letting her know he meant it.

A single tear streaked down her cheeks; that was something he'd say. She clenched her hands into fists, and steel welded into her heart even as a knife pierced it. _I need you to do something for me_ _Bradley_ _._

He kept his signature smile even when his eyes darted with nervousness. _"Sure, what is it?"_

_Go play football with_ _the boys_ _._

His brow furrowed and his smile faded. _"_ _You sure?_ _"_

Through choked tears she said aloud, "Go play football with the boys." His hurt and abandoned face further twisted the knife in her heart, but still she repeated, "Go play football with the boys."

_All right Lily. But you remember what I said you hear. I got the boys and Metal-head got your six._

Piece by piece the ghost of her long gone husband crumbled into dust.

_I love you Lily. Take care._

Just as the last bit faded she replied, "I love you too Bradley. Give the boys my love."

With one last smile he eroded away.

Helpless to withstand the invisible lashings to her skin, she doubled over and released an echoed wail into the emptiness. Her pain no longer reaching her human brethren, cold and unfeeling to her suffering in their eternal sleep. The shaking subsided as she fought to better control herself and to wipe away hot tears.

_I can't worry for them anymore. I can do this... I can do this._ Shaking her head to push against dreary thoughts. _What's taking Adam?_

Even though her ankle protested, she got back up and followed through the forms with her metal staff. With her mind preoccupied, she kept the melancholy away. Lilia continued the forms until Adam came back, the room lighting up from his teleportation and she turned toward him relieved. However, it was short lived as she noticed the state of his shirt. Torn like something had cut it and had patches of dirt over it. Not only that, but red splatters that stained the shirt and pants. Thankfully it didn't seem like his blood.

"The tent is still in good shape Lilia. Let's get started." He said.

"What happened to you?" Concern engulfed her voice.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. It was another dire bear, and I was careless. It's been taken care of."

She gritted her teeth. That didn't look like dire bear claws, it was clean of a slice for the jaggedness of a claw. "Adam..."

He sighed to dispel her worry. "I'm all right Lilia. I won't make the same mistake again when I see one. Now, let us get your tent set up."

A hard lump formed in her throat as she swallowed it. Did she want to know?

No, she already knew. Hoping that it wasn't 2B or 9S he came in contact with, she gave him a half-smile she joined him to help set up the tent.

"And did something happen while I was gone? The whites in your eyes are red."

She bit her lip and said, "I took a brief nap."

His silver brow crooked in doubt but said, "All right."

They folded the ten by twenty tarpaulin just as before to form a characteristic triangle tent shape. However the side that faced the fireplace lifted and the end metal circles attached via the twine to the head pin poles on both sides of the fireplace. That end of the tarp flushed with the chimney part of the fireplace and she had to attach the twine the second grommet so the tarp wouldn't bunch against the stone. At the opposite end, she folded about six feet of the end of the tarp inward. It was only a couple feet away from touching the step of the fireplace. Lilia intended on using that piece where she would sleep. She attached twine to the metal rings on the base of the makeshift poles so it stayed in place. He then helped her carry loose heavy stones from the crumbling pillars to keep the part of the tarp on the floor in place.

By the end, the two of them stepped back and admired their work.

It was a strange hybrid of a tent and a patio awning, but they crossed their fingers and hoped it worked to keep the rain and sun out. One more than the other did, anyway.

"If I see any more tarps or anything that would be useful, I will bring it." Adam promised to her.

A return smile was his reward as Lilia replied with gratitude, "I'd appreciate it." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then she announced while putting her things under the protection of the tent, "Now, there's only one thing left to do today."

"Which is?"

She shook her head and groaned and made a disgusted expression. "Gettin' rid of that funky-ass raccoon corpse."

A scowl came to his lips. "You mean you want _me_ to get rid of the corpse."

"If you don't mind."

With a roll of his eyes he said, "Well, I don't want you to catch anything."

A small smile cracked on her face. "Thank you, I appreciate it, and for everything you've done for me today."

"Hm, what is the idiom humans would say in this situation? I think it's 'I got your six'. Is that right?"

She gasped at the military jargon and a genuine smile formed on her lips. For the first time in the last few months, her worries and fears ebbed away. Even if they were true, she'd enjoy this small piece of happiness while it lasted.


	15. Home of Sighs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is where I'm nice to Lilia and Adam. Enjoy! :)

With the completion of her new home, Lilia decided on taking a nap later in the afternoon, the last twenty-four hours drained her mental and physical being. Soon she fell asleep, even if the stone and plastic tarp weren't the most comfortable things to lie on for the essential human function. Before she did so, she gave Adam her iPad for him to shift through, along with the ear-buds, as promised. Reddish eyes soaked up the content the device contained. He looked through the pictures, played recorded videos, listened to music, and scrolled through the library of downloaded movies and digital books.

The sheer volume of content on such a tiny thing overwhelmed him.

Granted, the tablet device had a ten-thousand-year obsolete date, but the data it contained mattered more than it's archaic quality.

Then, a message popped up saying the battery had a fifteen percent charge and to recharge it.

_What? Recharge? I've only been on this for a couple hours! Why would it need recharging? I knew it was an outdated device, but the level of energy wastefulness is unacceptable!_

A heavy scowl painted his face as he turned off the device to conserve the fast draining battery. At the worst time as well! He watched a recorded video of Lilia cooking in a kitchen with a young human boy. The title of the video was "X-mas 2013_best present ever."

The camera sat at an angle facing the kitchen, so he observed her cooking said dishes. Adam listened to faint upbeat music and chorus in the background sung something in regards to "it's the season" and a "silent night."

What happened—by what Lilia described in the video—is she had prepared a large ham, butter beans, a green bean casserole, a sweet potato pie and an assortment of other platters of food for Christmas. This excited him. Not only he witnessed the domestics of human life but also familial interactions and how they celebrated the human holiday in action.

The young, human child in the video is her nephew in the family structure as evidence since he called her "Auntie Lily". Which left him confused since she informed him of her "only child" status due to her mother's infertility, a common phenomena in biological beings. The child's name is Markus and displayed an energetic and helpful disposition with the feast his aunt cooked. If he wasn't too busy playing with cars or machine-like toys. The human child had a darker skin complexion than his aunt; thick, short-cropped, wooly hair; large, gray eyes; and wore a pair of thick jeans, a yellow shirt, and sneakers.

_Wait_ , he thought in realization, _Lilia mentioned she had a sister though they weren't—as humans dubbed—"blood relatives." Perhaps this child belonged to that woman? But, where is his mother? Strange, I'll ask her at a later date. But I will admit the activity levels he gives and preference to playing reminds me of Eve. I hope she has secrets to directing one's behavior towards learning instead of play when the situation arises. Alas, more questions to the enigma of humans than answers. But, I have you Lila as my teacher. All I need is to have patience as you are with me._

Lilia in the video wore a red, shoulder-less dress which descended to her knees and a white bow-belt at her waist, accentuating her feminine figure. The bottom half of her dress swayed from her movements. From the clicking on the wood floors she wore heals. Her hair had the usual curls, but it had a neat and fresh styled appearance. The makeup on her face complimented the color and shape of her hazel-green eyes and full lips in a bright red shade.

_Um, humans wore flashy and revealing clothes often from my previous studies._ He thought, analyzing the behavior. _Predominantly in the age ranges they seek mates. Strange how both sexes engage in the extravagant display when most species it's the male. Perhaps it's due to them "showing off" their health, fertility, personality, and—in a sense—their social status. But why when family is the party she shows off too? Is it her confidence? Or a simple matter of her "feeling" confidence in a particular clothes set? Or, maybe, a family sign they have a healthy female as a mark of genetic strength and dominance? So many questions! I must ask her when she rouses from her slumber._

_I will admit the way her hips swayed was... distracting._

Frustrated and bored the device was low on battery life, he laid it on top of her backpack. Then, rested on his side next to Lilia and waited for her to wake from her nap.

He observed her restless sleep as she turned to get comfortable. Behind her closed lids her eyes rolled and darted. The short ends of her messy, curly hair pulled out from the tight braid. At witnessing her in the uncomfortable state pulled at him. With great care, he got up without alerting her, attuned his hearing to focus on her relaxed breathing, and teleported out to the tree line to the northeast.

The loud crash of a giant falling tree didn't disturb her deep sleep.

Adam didn't return until he finished. He even brought the leftover scraps from the tree to use as firewood. Unfortunately, his activities didn't go unnoticed as he detected a change in her breathing as she roused from her slumber. He observed her body stretching as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. The plastic from the tarp crinkled from her movements. The whites of her eyes turned a pinkish color from sleeping so hard.

Once she noticed the collection of firewood, she smiled. "Oh, thanks."

"You're welcome. Sleep all right?"

She rolled her hazel-green eyes and groaned. "Gonna have to get used to the floor." She admitted.

A knowing grin plastered on his face. "Not for long. I did a little project while you slept. You like it?" He pointed towards the item.

Her head turned, and Lilia blinked several times. Then, crawled out of the tent to get a better inspection of the item.

"Um, what is it?" she asked, unsure of what he created for her.

"It's a bed, or at least my interpretation of one. I hypothesized you'd want something to keep you off the floor." Adam explained.

The supposed "bed" is an eight by three by one-foot rectangle-shaped block of wood. Within the center of the top part hat a slight depression at its deepest, descended three inches which spanned six and a half foot. The "bed" had five-inch long legs carved to form four corners of the block of wood. The underside had two support legs which went across long-ways.

She gave him a warm smile. "Didn't know you were a part-time carpenter."

The machine offered a smile of his own. "I'm not, but I make do." Without prompting, he lifted the bed to place it where she'd sleep under the tent.

While he performed his task, she walked to her backpack and pulled out the blankets she took from the machine village. She spread them across the wooden surface and bunched up one to act as a pillow. Then, she sat and laid on top, wiggling to conclude the best position. A tender smile formed on her lips.

"Thank you Adam. You didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I could have let you suffer on the stone floors." He remarked.

She snorted, rolled her eyes, and tapped him on the shoulder, a playful glint in her eyes before getting out of the low tent. Once they are out of the confines of the tent, Lilia approached him and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. Pride and accomplishment bubbled in his chest.

"You did good Adam. I'll defiantly use it."

He smiled before a frown formed. "As much as I like to bask in your compliments, I have to tell you the battery in your iPad needs charging."

The smile on her face faded, her eyes and brows pinched in sadness. "I knew this would happen one day. Sorry, I have no way of chargin' it. I have the cord that attaches to an electrical socket, but, well, I don't see a socket anywhere. And there's no electricity, so, yeah. It was... nice while it lasted."

Adam frowned even deeper at the news. "May I see the cord?"

She cocked a curious brow at him, but dug through her purse for the white cord and wall charger. She explained how they worked to him.

"May I take these with me?" He acknowledged the weight of his request, but he formulated a hypothesis. "I have a possible solution, but I need to study this a little."

Her hazel-green eyes lit up at the probable good outcome. "OK, but, _please_ be careful with it. This is the only thing containin' all my pictures and videos of my family and friends from... before. And no rough housin'! Those tablets break easy."

A smile graced his lips. "I promise."

After their conversation, it neared on dinnertime, so both walked to the garden and picked bright, yellow squash and spring onions, enough to carry in their hands. On returning to the crumbling house, she placed the produce on top of her bed.

"Adam, could you arrange the firewood please?" She requested.

He placed the produce in his hands on her bed and did as she asked. Then, she brought her staff, backpack, and purse under the safety of the tent and put them next to her bed. Lilia dug through her backpack and pulled out the pot she used for purifying her water, a canteen, a plastic container with dry grass inside, and the stone and flint. Then, almost comedically, arranged the squash and spring onions on top of her materials. Somehow, she managed while crawling on her knees as she came to the fireplace.

"Hold the veggies please?"

He did so as the machine watched her as she put the gear on the floor. Then, pulled out dry grass out of the clear, plastic container and with practiced ease used the stone and flint to light the dry grass spread to the wood, the fire popped and cracked. A wide smile graced her lips at seeing the flames.

Then, Lilia took one squash in his arms and rinsed off the vegetable with the water from her canteen, enough to conserve her supply. Next, she took out her pocket knife and cut the squash. Or, at least, she attempted to cut the bright yellow vegetable. Her mangled left hand proved difficult in her ability to hold the vegetable in the air. It didn't help in her sanitary caution to clean it provided a slick surface, now she carried the risk of injury. He hypothesized her injury risk will negate if she placed it a surface for leverage, but he suspected she didn't want to do that on the stone step of the fireplace. It did several hours ago have caked bird droppings and covered in soot.

Not willing to witness her unintentional self-harm, he got up, arranged the produce in his arms so he had the use of his right hand to pull out one of the scrap pieces of wood. He arranged the piece using his feet to hold it steady as he summoned energy to slice it and once more an inch away from his original cut. He parted his feet as he bent to grab the flat board. It was at least a foot across by eight inches.

He presented it to her. Lilia once again bestowed him with a smile. Adam placed the board in front of her on the ground and she—with enthusiasm—sliced the squash with more accuracy and safety in mind. The same with the spring onions and set aside the unnecessary bits to throw outside the house. Lilia arranged them into the small pot before pouring water to cover the vegetables. Once she put the small lid on top, she set it close to the fire.

Then, it dawned on Adam what she was doing. _Cooking! She's cooking just like I saw her do in that video!_

Even though the activity shouldn't have excited him since he's seen her cook fish before, but this seemed more... domestic. Perhaps the setting itself enhanced the notion. She, after all, is cooking inside a house that will serve as her new home. To an extent, his own.

_Our home._ The thought rang in his mind as pleasure danced within his chest.

—xxx—

The cool, starry night came too soon. Faced, once again, with the dilemma of keeping his obligation to his brother.

She prepared for her slumber with fresh wood for the fire and removed her boots, pants, and bra. Before Lilia lay on her new bed, the delightful human woman tempted him with a kiss. Not long after initial contact, their tongues danced and intertwined. Tingles sparked throughout his body. When they pulled back, her hands alternated between grasping his shirt and rubbing his chest. Her front teeth biting her lower lip in consideration.

_What are you teaching me this time Lilia?_

A small, nervous smile graced her lips as her eyes turned warm.

She took one of the extra blankets off her bed and spread it on the floor. Adam looked at her, curiosity and anticipation trickled in his mind, as she laid on her back on the faded blue blanket. A delicate, mangled hand wrapped around his necktie and pulled him to lie by her.

_Are you...?_

Lilia placed a chaste kiss on his lips before looking him in the eye. "Adam... I... um, I want... I want you to... touch me."

_Touch? I suspect you mean more than you are leading on._

"How do you want me to?" he asked.

He could see her swallow a lump in her throat before she asked, "Um, how much of human... well, um, of human intimacy do you know of?"

_Human intimacy!_

The prospect excited him that she wished to engage in such a fundamental part of human life with him. However, he reminded her, "You know I don't have that part of my anatomy."

A heavy blush formed on her face before she replied, "Yeah, but there are other things you can do."

Slyness formed on his face. "Oh yes, from what I gather from my studies."

He wasted no time in yanking his tie off, ripping his ruined shirt away, unbuckled his pants, and kicked his shoes off. Then, throwing his gloves away, uncaring of where they landed, refusing to have a barrier between his hands and her warm, soft skin.

Lilia, likewise removed her shirt and black panties. Adam couldn't help but stare enraptured.

She lay naked before him with nothing but an alluring, coy smile.

Warm and inviting hazel-green eyes called to him to play with her welcoming body. The burning light from the fire gave them intensity he couldn't help in his mesmerization. Long, curly hair splayed across the blanket. Full lips parted as her left pinky curved with delicateness into her mouth. Her right hand rested on her breast in a seductive suggestion. Further still from her swan-like neck to her full breasts, a perfect shape and size for his hands. The dark nipples called for him to fondle and suck. Her curvy, hour-glass shaped torso quivered with anticipation. Supple legs opened in a lewd display; the right calf caressed his thigh. Between those delicious legs housed the sex of a human female. A frame of short, curly hair on the mound. Between is the vulva slit and nestled within are the thin petals of the inner labia, the clitoris peaking at the top.

Adam couldn't comprehend where to start with stimulating her.

_This is_ nothing _like analyzing photographs._

A gentle blush graced Lilia's cheeks, lasciviousness in her voice, "Like what you see?"

He gave a half-smile as he leaned back up her body and gave a deep, hungry kiss that left her breathless and grasping his hair. Her fingers dug hot paths across his back, tickled his ribs, and groped his buttocks. Feminine mounds pressed into his chest, hard nipples stabbed his skin. A hunger within his gut pleaded for more.

When he let up, he observed the pink glow from his eyes reflection on her's, a testament to his excitement, senses intoxicated by her.

Lechery played across his lips in a smile as he muttered in a hot breath, "You have... _no idea_ how _desirable_ you are."

Lilia bit her lip as her blush deepened. His ears detecting the drum of her heart increase and deep, shallow breath of her lungs.

He kissed her supple neck, tasting the salty-sweetness of her skin and caressing her pulse-point with his lips and tongue. Lustful hands tickled her sides. He mapped the feminine curve of her torso and letting the intense heat from her body merge with his. Salacious lips descended as his wondering hands went up to meet at her twin mounds of her full breasts, and applying pressure to cup them, detecting the glands within them for nursing. Lips journeyed to the left one, kissing the dark nipple. The bud hardened from his attention and the areola pebbled from licking around it.

A sensual moan escaped from Lilia's throat. Her patient eyes gazed at him as he massaged and pleasured her breasts. Once the machine heard her moan again, it further emboldened him, exciting him that his ministrations brought her pleasure. Her left calf rubbed against his own. Delicate hands stimulated his sides and back, prompting a pleasured sigh from him.

"Hmm, you're doin' good Adam." Sensuality dripped from her full lips.

The positive reinforcement allowed him to continue his gentle massage of her breasts and put more of the hardening nipple within his mouth, alternating between sucking, teething, and licking the pert flesh. Her deep moans became more frequent the longer he kept his arousing ministrations. Then, he bestowed the other nipple his tender attention. A heady scent permeated the air. He recognized it's source came from Lilia, the perfume awakened curious sparks and trembles within his own metallic body, needing to sample other parts of her body too.

His greedy mouth and hands descended further, munching on her stomach and gauging the expanse of her hips with his hands. A gasp escaped her mouth as she realized where he intended to go. As he kissed her belly button, he concluded he didn't want the experience to be over so soon.

Instead of descending where she'd receive the most pleasure, he deviated and kissed the left side of her body, all the way down her leg. His hands pressed and perceived the skin, fat and muscle. Acquainting himself with the other curves and swells of her body, lips kissed the top of her foot and his fingers massaged her ankle. Lilia let out a drawn-out moan when his thumbs pressed into the sole and arch of her foot—drawing tight circles.

"Damn that's so good." Relaxation and pleasure dripped in her low voice.

Lips curled in a smile as he moved to the other foot, applying the same treatment as its twin. Then, making the reverse trip back up that leg, he kissed and massaged the limb, coming back to her belly button.

Only then did he go downwards.

She watched his decent through half-lidded eyes, her delicate hands stroking his long, silver hair. His hands further parted her thighs. A gasp from her lips came when he kissed her curly-haired pubis. When he kissed the left side of her vulva, he sucked on the flesh for a second, letting the flavor acquaint with his tongue. Planting more kisses and sucks on the other side of the flowery slit, Lilia's musk and scent danced and played with his sensors. Sensations and tantalizations sparked beneath his carbon skin; most of which were in his abdomen and groin region, sensing a tremble throughout his body.

"Oh muh God!" she gasped as her back arched.

_Yes, this small nub has thousands of nerve sensors. The right stimulation by my mouth and tongue needs to happen, not too much or too little._

He licked her swollen clitoris again in a firm swipe, emboldened by her reaction. A long, throaty moan vibrated her chest. A crooked smile formed on his lips. Slyly he took the tip of his tongue and made tight circles around the tip of the clitoris. Her hands tightened on his hair as she let out another drawn-out moan. The mild pain on his scalp inflamed him. A tremble coursed beneath his hands on her thighs and her musk became headier. Adam planted a chaste kiss on the sensitive bud before he continued exploring with his mouth. He analyzed her reactions while he took careful notes on proper stimulation.

Petaled skin attached to the clitoral hood, he licked and sucked, amazed at the slick softness. His tongue dipped further between, lapping and savoring her tangy nectar. A throaty moan escaped his lips as he pressed further to lap up more flowing from her womb. He hummed in appreciation as he raised her thighs closer to her chest, leaving them up and apart. The better access allowed him to orally test and analyze the sensitivity of the slick vaginal opening. Delicate hands spasmed from the stimulation and her hips twitched.

Throughout the stone house her pleasured moans, sighs and whines became the only song Adam wanted to listen to.

Her right hand removed itself from his head as he watched her stimulate her clitoris. The experienced fingers rubbing and rolling in tight circles. Hungry reddish eyes examined her for a moment, allured by her touching herself in such an intimate way. Unable to resist, his mouth and tongue joined her fingers in their play of the stiff bud. A throaty groan was his reward as she removed her fingers only to trail them to her entrance. The first two fingers pumping herself. Again, he watched her a moment before it clicked in his aroused mind with what she wanted him to do. A twitch of a smile came to his moistened lips of her silent instructions.

_Yes_ , he thought with burning intensity, _yes teach me. Show me_ how _Lilia!_

For a brief, intense moment their eyes met before he trailed his right hand to her fingers. Lilia removed her's and continued to hold his head. His whole metallic body thrummed with energy as he realized he'd touch such an intimate part of herself. A long, drawn gasp escaped his mouth as her delicate flesh parted for his two fingers. Slick, musky fluid coated the invading digits. Further pressing into her as he came into contact with her fleshy entrance, it too parted and accepted his invading fingers.

They both _moaned_.

Her hot opening coated his fingers in thick slick as he delved all the way to the knuckles. Soft, fleshy walls tightened and constricted on his fingers, hugging and welcoming them into her body. So engrossed with the sensation he didn't move them until Lilia let out a frustrated groan and rolled her hips enough to stimulate herself on his frozen fingers. He took the hint and did as she demanded, appreciating the slick, moist sounds and her satisfied sighs and moans.

A visceral fantasy played in his mind it wasn't his fingers sliding and thrusting into her. The concept wasn't foreign to him, but now in this intimate moment he loathed the fact he couldn't give that to her. What would it be like as he slid part of himself that was hard and heavy into her? What would it be like as she squeezed him as he went all the way inside? Somewhere in the back of his coding, his groin region intensified its tingling sensation and his underwear clad lower half rubbed on the bunched blanket between his thighs.

He allowed himself to appreciate the sensations even though it was a cruel anatomical phenomenon.

Quick to put the thought out of his mind as he focused more on her pleasure. Accepting, with regret, that his hands and mouth will be the only bits that could sexually stimulate her. But, he couldn't regret it from her intense noises she made.

Moving on, he resumed his oral ministrations on her clitoris while still pumping her with his fingers. The stone walls of the house echoed her pleasured cries as he alternated his movements of his mouth and fingers. So desperate to experience what elicited the most pleasure. He could feel her heart beat intensify in his ears. The wonderful heat of her body increased. The longer he kept his stimulation of her delicious genitals the more erratic her twitches and back arches were. Along with her tight, provocative pulling of his hair, Adam appreciated the _satisfying_ sting.

Lilia cried out, " _Oh God!_ You're gonna make me cum!"

_Cum...?_

He didn't know what that word meant, but she wasn't telling him to stop.

The fingers pumped her _faster_ , and he _sucked_ and flicked his tongue on her hard nub.

Until she stopped breathing and moving before she let out a strangled, loud _cry_ as her body arched as more fluid from her released around his fingers. He didn't let up as her loud cry stirred him _more_. _Needing_ to hear it again. The pain from pulling on his hair crested as he breathed an animalistic _groan_ in pleasure.

" _Fuck!_ S-stop! Too much!"

At hearing her cry, he removed his mouth and fingers from her. The wetness from his mouth, chin and fingers glistened. He raised himself and examined her chest heave to catch her breath. A deep blush went from her face to her shoulders. Small beads of perspiration dotted her forehead, and a satisfied smile painted itself on her lips.

A heavy groan vibrated from his throat and chest. Without rationalization, he hooked her legs across his shoulders and leaned forward. His hands on both sides of her head to stabilize him and to make sure he didn't press his heavy weight on her. Her hips raised from the position as he molded his clothed lower abdomen to her groin, rubbing and _grinding_ their two bodies together.

Lilia squeaked from the quick moment as her eyes blinked at him.

The intensity of his glowing eyes reflected in the shine of hers. A low groan he made amplified as he flexed his hips, rubbing himself against her. Lilia gasped from the sensation. Fingers dug into her hips as his eyes rolled, his mind whiting in an all-consuming _burn_.

He wanted to fuck her _so bad_.

"Adam..." she gasped, feeling the stimulation from his pant material on her sensitive clitoris. "Adam— _oh fuck!_ —calm down!"

Delicate hands wrapped around his face as she locked eye contact with him. He had to think, calm himself, and release his crushing hold on her hips.

"I... I _want_..." He groaned, voice thick with an inflamed impulse to do what he wanted most. Angry and frustrated he couldn't. A code within him demanded he shove something long, hard and hot into her— _make her scream his name_. Have her wrap around him until his existence erased, to null all he ever was and become pure _human_ sin. To sculpt his metal bones into _human_ flesh.

Hazel-green eyes closed in heavy regret. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have—"

"No!" Cutting her off. "I... I wanted to try too."

A heavy tremble vibrated his metallic body as he released her legs from his shoulders. To calm himself from the pent-up energy coiled within him. He shook on his hands and knees above her so he wouldn't crush her from his weight. Eyes closed tight to calm himself. Even as her flavor saturated his palate and lips, and her spent arousal invaded his nostril sensors.

"Adam—" she said before he shook his head to stop her.

"Was it good?" He asked.

He assumed the worst when she said nothing. But then, she chuckled, "You made me cum so hard I didn't know what you were doin' until you started humpin' me."

The cautious machine opened his eyes to observe a deep blush and lascivious smile on her face. Her right hand cupping the side of her jaw and the other hand resting at the upper part of her chest. Hazel-green eyes darted, unable to meet him in the eye and her front teeth bit her lower lip.

A prideful smile sculpted itself on his lips. "It'll do then."

With great care he carried her to the bed he made and settled her within the depression before covering her with a blanket, gentle in his motions. Lilia had a sleepy expression as her right hand caressed his arm and a small satisfied smile. The ministration only kept the heat coiled within him fanned. He couldn't help himself but to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. The tease she is, licked his bottom lip and moaned.

Dawning on him she tasted herself.

He jerked himself back and complained without heat, "Will you ever stop teasing me?"

A sleepy smile formed across her face as she drifted to her dreams. Her eyes covered by the lids. Then, she muttered in her tired, sleepy state, "love... you..." before she was fast asleep.

The only sounds were the crackling fire, her soft snore, and the crickets outside the house.

Those two words echoing in his mind as he stared at her.

_"love... you..."_

Mechanically, he crawled out of the tent they built together. Careful not to crinkle the tarp-covered floor.

_"love... you..."_

A fluttering energy spiraled within his chest and abdomen as he put back on his clothes and leather gloves. The golden tags clinking.

_"love... you..."_

He turned to look at her before he left.

_I don't know Lilia... but I..._

Then, he realized how vulnerable she was. No longer did she have the protection of a group looking out while she slept. A bear, a wolf, or some other predator can overpower her, an easy meal for their bellies. The skin he admired touching torn like paper to their teeth and claws.

He couldn't stand the thought of something happening to her while she slept. Unsure if it was... love he felt or his desire to protect her, but he couldn't leave without a measurable guarantee she will be unharmed until sunrise.

_I know I told you once before I'm fond of you. But... is it like love? Or, am I lying to myself? Is this... love? You're always on my mind and your smile... your touch... I don't want to leave you. But, I need to take care of something too. Just please be safe. You have so much to teach me and I have so much to learn._

And Adam also had something else he needed to take care of before met with his brother.

He had a solution, but he doubted she will like it. However, it was the only guarantee and peace of mind it'll protect her while she slept. When she woke up, it'll be a different story.

He didn't want to remind himself of the time a dire bear almost ate her or the mad, rampage machine.

The silver-haired machine summoned energy and put in place a large barrier that covered the entire tent region and part of the fireplace. Adam made it so it lasted until the sun rose and if something were to attack, the barrier will shoot beams once it broke. His worry didn't completely leave, but it was enough he had adequate satisfaction to teleport away. With her iPad and charger in his hands, he did just that.

_Lilia you'll be OK when you wake up. At least you'll be aware of your surroundings. And... you've taken care of yourself in my absence in the past._

The calculating machine had a little more than an hour before he needed to meet with Eve. It was enough time to take care of a loose end from earlier. Although she appeared to accept that excuse he gave, he doubted Lilia believed him with current events.

In a flash, he was in his copied cathedral. He heard grunting sounds and the slap of carbon skin and metal. Rolling his eyes, he put Lilia's device on a pew out of sight and found that loose end.

The "loose end" being a B-model YoRHa android he had captured.

This android was sitting in wait at the campsite where he went to retrieve the tent. It was a tough fight, but with his level of adaptation, he overpowered the model. He cut off the legs and arms to prevent escape. Although they were grave wounds, it wasn't enough to deactivate the android's machine body. Adam made sure. Not only that, the support Pod he destroyed during their battle. Also, she could not reach for her black-box to self-destruct.

As he came around the front pew the amputated android had wiggled herself off the pew he placed her. The android struggled and wiggled like a fish on the floor. The B-model screamed through the cloth he put in her mouth when she identified him. Irritated, he rolled his eyes and lifted the android back on the pew.

"All right," he said. "Now I have time, we're going to have a little chat." Then, he removed the gag from her mouth.

"Fuck you, machine!" she yelled at him.

"Good evening to you," he responded in a bored tone. "Now, I understand they sent you to destroy me and I can guess it was the YoRHa Commander. And I don't hold it against her, opposite sides even though I have no interest in this 'war' she wants to perpetuate."

She scowled, "Don't make me _laugh_ machine. You won't get your hands on the humans you sick fuck!"

Adam snorted at her outburst. "Please, whatever it was she told you it's far from the truth."

"The hell should I believe you! You did this easily enough to me!" she yelled referring to her four missing limbs.

" _Ha!_ Like you can't download into another body. Although it must have been terrifying, but it was the only guarantee you couldn't escape."

The android's doll face upturned in a sour scowl. "You should have deactivated me."

"And miss such an opportunity? No, don't think so. Now, during our little... scuffle, you demanded to know where I held the Resistance android and that I am dissecting them. What an interesting and colorful story your Commander told you. Why tell you that to get rid of little me?"

"Fuck you! Why should I believe you, machine?!"

Adam rolled his shoulders. "Well, can't be helped then. Did you bother to ask the Resistance leader Anemone in regards to the missing androids? Or the one you were sent to rescue? Because... well... according to that _android_ you want to play hero with, she told me your Commander wants her dead. Or rather, the Council of Humanity designated her as an enemy. What's it called? 'Collusion'?"

The android's face turned stoic and defiant.

He raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, don't believe me. But ask Anemone about what I said. That might be enough to plant some... doubt. If not, ask the androids 2B and 9S."

He detected the twitch when he said the names of those androids. "Why?" A firm grit when she asked.

A smirk formed on his lips. "Because they know all too well of this 'collusion' me and _Lilia_ have been doing the last few months. They are the ones who knew where you should wait for me. That spot was where Lilia and I met... _all the time_ before she _begged_ me to take her far from here since this 'Council of Humanity' has disregarded her life." An emotional turbulence spilled from his mouth as he got up, unable to contain it. The obscene anger and disbelief of when Lilia relayed the news to him that morning boiled over in his mind. "I am... so sorry for the poor android who could have killed her considering she's one of the precious species YoRHa have _sworn_ to protect and _fight_ on their behalf."

The defiant, placid face on the B-model android cracked. "What...? You're—No! That's not true! _Liar!_ Every android in YoRHa has orders to _rescue_ her! _Rescue!_ That's why—! The Council wouldn't—!"

He laughed without mirth. "Seems so given how scared Lilia was. Unless the Commander lied to her or YoRHa. Well it doesn't matter either way. So, you can give a message for me. Tell your Commander, the Council of Humanity... the next YoRHa that comes I _won't_ show mercy. And I find it funny that, me, a _machine,_ cares more for her life than the ones who swore to protect it."

The angry machine grabbed her by the collar and teleported them outside the Resistance camp. Without warning, he threw her torso into the camp entrance while she screamed. Adam teleported away before any of the fighters noticed him.

What he didn't know is that Anemone had a nice, private discussion with that B-model later that night which led to Jackass going on a secret, _extensive_ investigation. The letter addressed to her tucked away in a safe place.

—xxx—

An impatient silver-haired machine waited at their meeting spot. He had stewed in silence over the last few days that his plan of getting rid of the android had failed. Miserably at that. It was perfect, he'd be rid of her and his brother will be ignorant it was him who used his corruption power on the biped machine. Adam—his _beloved_ Adam—will be free. Yet somehow that cockroach of an android escaped and lived. Although he considered the enjoyment from her cries of anguish as it tore her apart, he thought it best if he wasn't near in case his brother appeared.

He could admit from fact the machine maimed her and gave him small satisfaction. But it was a hollow victory, his brother still had yet to have freedom from that android. He isn't his and his alone yet.

During the day, he kept himself aware of his brother's movements. Their connection of being twins and attached to the server allowed him to see he's has been busy teleporting. He couldn't see through Adam's eyes or what he heard, a great pain on their individual separation.

_We should've stayed as one and maybe I wouldn't be this way._

What piqued his curiosity is he teleported with a passenger (whom he assumed was that android) and stayed at the apple orchard during the day. He then took someone from their meeting spot to the copied cathedral before teleporting alone to the orchard. When it came time for him to meet, she didn't teleport with him to leave. Instead, he went to the cathedral alone and the previous  passenger he dropped off at the android Resistance camp.

What concerned him during his tenure at the orchard is the connection Adam had to the server produced static followed by high-energy spikes starting at 8:43 pm and reached a peak at 9:26 pm. Even now the spikes emanated from him to a lesser degree.

Now here he was in front of him.

_Brother... why did you leave that android at the apple orchard? What is the energy you have now? And..._ Eve's nasal sensors detected a strange aroma, _why do you smell like that? Smells similar to musk from an animal. Pheromones, right? Why would—?_

A bitter, knotted conclusion formed in his mind. _That_ android _! Has to be!_

Eve dared not bring her up in conversation. His spite and jealousy prevented him from doing so.

Somehow, someway, he vowed to get rid of her and free his brother.

For now, all he wanted was to be with him.

_All I want is you brother._

—xxx—

That wasn't how he had planned on spending the day with Eve. It had started out fine and for most the day he was enjoying himself with his twin. By mid-afternoon it deteriorated in rapid succession. Adam admitted he is the guilty party. Distraction egged his mind, and the last few months it had been a single thing.

Eve knew this, and it was the cause for his outbursts. Then, came the physical altercation that left them both hurt in more ways than one. It's not like he didn't mind playing rough with him, he enjoyed it sometimes. But, when it goes beyond that boundary. When it comes from his twin's unfortunate irrationality and jealousy. Since they've occurred more often, he's lost all patience with it. At this point he'd rather throw hits and leave Eve alone to wallow in his tantrum.

_I understand your preference to physical activity to learning Eve, but I worry for you and your unhealthy ire towards Lilia. Leave her be so I can be a brother to you during our time together._

For the remainder of the day he spent analyzing a solution for Lilia's iPod battery charge. An hour later, he figured what type of battery it was and how it worked. It was such a simple, outdated mechanism it took no time at all to fashion a new battery for it that attached to the port. One that will not need charging for another fifty years if he calculated it right. In hindsight, the technology was the latest in innovation of Lilia's time. Just in case though, he fashioned a connection to the server to upload an encrypted backup of the content on the device. Not wanting to lose such precious data due to carelessness.

Once that finished, he smiled with satisfaction and went back to the video he watched earlier to continue. Putting the earbuds in his ears he pressed the "play" button on the screen.

He examined as relative after relative filed into her home. Some bringing their own dish to the event. Many of whom had children and heard them running around the apartment.

At one point when she went to the door to let the next relative in, he heard her scream. The other relatives cheered and whooped as the person who caused such a reaction from her came into the camera. She had her arms wrapped around a large and tall human male who wore a green camouflage uniform who held her up with one arm around her waist and a duffle-bag in the other. He saw the relatives in the room record the occasion on their devices. The little boy Markus ran into the screen and shouted, _"Uncle Bradly!"_ and went to hug the man.

The scene cut and now it was her and the man, Lilia held the tablet so both their faces recorded. By description, the male had a paler complexion than she did with dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, clean-shaven, a twisted scar on the left side of his face, and short-cropped hair. He wore a hat with the same color camouflage as his uniform. At the center was a badge that had three arrow shapes pointing up and the lowest arrow connected with a curve at the ends.

Lilia wiped her tears but smiled wide. _"Well, look who showed up at my door for Christmas! Didn't you say you wouldn't make it?"_

The man smiled and laughed before putting a kiss on her cheek. _"I could smell your cookin' from Iraq and just had to come by. And I thought I'd give you this."_

Out of view of the camera, he pulled a small, white box with a red glittering bow on top and presented it in front of her and the camera. Lilia's hazel-green eyes blinked at the gift and took it between her hands while the man held up the iPad. Her shaking, delicate hand opened the lid that had the bow and put it underneath the box. That same hand went inside the box.

Her facial expressions went by in rapid succession—uncertainty, nervousness, joy.

_"B-Bradly what's... this?"_ In that hand she brought up another white box, but it was much smaller than the one that held it, had a velvety texture to it, and had a single hinge.

Someone off-camera had taken the tablet as it panned back to show more of the two. With both of the man's hands he took that box Lilia brought out and opened it in front of her while on one knee. Adam saw the glitter of a ring.

The man beamed as he asked in a deep baritone, _"Lilia, will you be Mrs. Sergeant Bradly Knight?"_

No one made a sound. In such a state of shock she had dropped the gift box. Fresh tears streamed from her eyes and a wide beaming smile stretched to reveal all of her teeth.

In a hoarse whisper she answered, _"Yes."_

The people in the room clapped and cheered as the man put the ring on the third finger of her left hand.

As the scene played, it left him with many questions. He didn't know how he should react to the revelation of her being married to another man. Even though it was interesting to study how proposals went between humans. But, it was Lilia who he watched it happened to. Who was 'Bradly Knight'? Adam knew he must have been in the military because of the uniform he wore and the rank of 'sergeant'. And where was this "Iraq"? He will have to search through the network. What also rattled him is that he's never seen her wear the ring he gave to her. Were they still married when she came here? Or did they get a divorce?

However, most of his questions became answered as he continued to search through the iPad and he found out what had happened to the human named 'Bradly Knight'. The life she dreamed of when he finished his deployment and discharged that following year, became buried along with their newborn the following year. Father and son waiting for her beneath the earth.

Now he understood why Lilia didn't want him to go face Grün.

When it was time for him to see her at midnight, he realized just how little he knew of her. The difficulty of being a victim of time travel from the life she built to where everything she knew, including her family, disintegrated into dust. Adam couldn't fathom the turmoil she became subjected to. The pain and suffering of being human out of her time. The hatred the entity had for her.

Despite all of that, he couldn't help but admire the mental and emotional strength for her to carry the pain and for her to still smile and laugh.

Her words echoed, _"love... you..."_

—xxx—

Silently, booted footsteps approached a sleeping woman. His reddish eyes scrutinizing her form. The messy mop of hair, the smell that came from her, and the dirty clothes. Even as he was so close to her, she didn't react. He noted how vulnerable she was, daring himself to touch the side of her face to see if she will wake. Only a murmur exited her lips.

A smile stretched across his face, but soon faded as an intense feeling of absolute _hatred_ gnawed and coiled in his chest at seeing _her_. Inky black painted his skin.

The very same gauntlet hand he used to caress her fragile cheek, he wrapped around her thin throat.

And _squeezed_.

An echo demanded, _Dress her in red._


	16. Rabbit Season

Reddish eyes jerked awake. Sensors sparking at the dream he had. Bleary from the hard rest before remembering where he was. When did he fall asleep?

Adam was in the crumbling house he and Lilia now called home. He heard her soft snore from underneath the cover of the tent. But, the dream... it felt _so real_. He crawled on his knees to look at her to make sure. Silver brows furrowed when he realized that she had cut her hair and it looked fluffier and curlier than it did when he saw her last. The shortened hair had split into two sections on opposite sides of the back of her head and held together by two individual rubber bands.

Even though the machine liked her long hair, he determined the current style as cute. Curious, he removed the glove on his left hand and touched a lock of those curls. It was dry to the touch and didn't have an oil texture to it. He pulled it straight then let go, watching it spring back into a curl. He concluded that she must have washed her hair yesterday to have it so fluffy and wavy.

That wasn't the only thing he noticed. Along her arms were reddish-purple bruises that had a similar make up of bite marks from a small animal.

_What were you up to yesterday?_

Unfortunately, his curiosity roused her from sleep. She took a deep breath before she stretched and moved. Her bleary eyes peaked. When she saw him it was enough to startle her awake. The pre-dawn light still had it dark within the house and the only light came from the dying fire.

"Jeez Adam," she groaned while rubbing her face. "Stop wakin' a girl at night." Lilia gave a long yawn before she reached up where she hung her flashlight above the metal post at the head of her bed. The bright light cased sharp shadows within the tent. She stretched and yawned again. "What time is it?" she asked through a drawn-out groan.

"It'll be dawn soon. And sorry for waking you."

Another yawn again before she said, "Sal'right." And gave a wave of his unnecessary apology. "Needin' to be up, anyway." Lilia stretched again before pulling off the covers on her naked legs. The only thing she wore was her shirt and black panties.

Adam crawled back on his knees to allow her space to dangle her legs out, but instead of her putting her pants on, she unhooked her flashlight, grabbed her metal staff, and crawled out of the tent.

"Wait here. I'll be right back," she said still groggy from sleep as she walked barefoot out of the house.

"Where are you going?"

"Gotta take care of somethin'. I holler if I need ya."

He heard her footsteps and rustle of the tall grass outside the stone house. On realizing what that "something" was. Not wanting to be intrusive, he turned off his long-range audio sensors. He crawled on his knees to the step of the fireplace and waited. She returned once she finished and heard her footsteps and the glow of her flashlight came into view.

Once she was in the house and going toward her belongings he said, "You cut your hair."

She shrugged as she hung her flashlight back up, put away her staff, and grabbed her pants. "Yeah, thought I'd be easier to take care of, ya know?" She said as she put on her cargos. "And Anemone gave me a hair cleaner; hasn't been this clean in _months_."

He nodded noncommentally as she continued to put on her socks and shoes on the floor. "What happened to your arms?"

She looked away for a moment and paused in her task before she resumed. "I tried to catch a rabbit yesterday," she explained. "After I came home from the river that mornin' that's what I did for the rest of the day. I found a three-foot-deep hole they've been fallin' into and when I tried to get the rabbit already in their out it, well, reminded me— _very rudely_ —that it wasn't domesticated. And considerin' that I planned on killin' and eatin' it, can't say I blame it." Then her face turned sour as she remarked, "And how much I can't grab or swing worth a _shit_ with this hand."

He knew what hand she spoke of but as emphasis she raised the offending appendage and wiggled it. Then, the fingers continued tying her shoe, movements slow and methodical. An odd sense of guilt bubbled in his chest.

"But... after some difficulty after I tried four times, I may have found a way. I baited that hole with cucumber slices before night came and I wanna see if I caught one and try again."

Adam nodded and remarked, "You're rather persistent on catching one."

"Well, yeah... I mean I can't wholly live off of veggies and apples all the time. Need my protein."

"I see. And, by the way, I fixed your iPad."

"You—!" Her eyes widened in shock as her head whipped at him.

A crocked smile came across his face as he showed her. A finger pointed to the two-inch square case attached to the port. "I had to use that cord and the wires to attach this battery to it. But, you won't have to worry about another one for another fifty years."

Her mouth formed a wide smile as she yelled in excitement as she crawled to him on the raised fireplace hearth. She clicked the button to turn on the screen and typed in the password. Immediately kissing him when she saw that the battery was at one hundred percent.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Lilia put him in a vice hug around his neck. "Anytime you wanna use this, feel free to."

He smiled, pride swirled within his chest. "I'll take you up on that."

"Here let's do this, " she said. Excitement burst in her chest as she took the iPad from his hands and raised it up. After pressing buttons on the screen, he saw himself and her in on the screen. "Say cheese!"

And Lilia took the image.

_Was that what I look like?_

"I want lots more," she said. Eyes happy at the image. "This way, we'll always remember it."

"I don't think it'll be a problem for me." He remarked.

The happy smile she had faded to that of sadness. "Maybe, but... it's still nice to have a record of it. Anyway," she announced while getting up, "let's go check that that trap I set up."

Adam agreed while she put the device away in her purse for safekeeping. She took her metal staff, strapped on her water canteen, and belted her knife. They walked together through the garden. The song birds and crickets played their tunes. Lilia led the way in the rising sun's light. He heard shrieks before he saw the hole Lilia told him of. It was just ten meters from the cucumber patch in a medium-high flowery foliage. The hole itself was three feet down and about a foot in diameter. In the hole was the rabbit she spoke of with gray-brown fur, a white tail and underbelly, and dark brown eyes. It couldn't have weighed three or four pounds.

"Here it is," she said. "And it's a decent sized one too. Now... the hard part."

With a calm and steady breath, she set her staff next to the hole and knelt. Impassive red eyes observed her.

"Sorry Thumper," she murmured, hesitation in her voice. Then, she reached into the hole to grab the rabbit by the scruff of the neck with her right hand in a quick movement.

The animal screamed and wriggled to get away. But, she was stronger as she restrained the rabbit with her right knee and her mangled hand to press at the base of the neck. Then, in a flash, she grabbed her metal staff and struck the rabbit in the head. The struggling animal still wiggled from the force of the impact, so she hit it once more. It stopped moving even though it still twitched in its legs for twenty seconds before it stilled. He saw her shake from what she had done to the animal. Then, she lifted the dead rabbit and cradled it in her arms. He observed that she ran her finger across its brown eye that didn't blink.

Lilia let out a shaky breath and said, "It's dead."

He nodded, Adam knew it had perished after the first strike and that the second blow was just a precaution. "Why did you run your finger across its eye?" He asked, curious.

She took another breath before she answered, "I had a friend who was a veterinarian and one thing they do when they have to put an animal down is to run their finger across the eye. If it doesn't blink, it's dead cos of the nerve reaction."

The answer she gave is accepted by him. It made the most sense considering there's no point in a living animal's need to blink after death.

"Jeez, never thought I'd be that hard." She breathed as she got up and made her way towards the house, listless in her pace.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he walked with her.

"Doin' that."

 _Why would killing an animal for necessary nutritional value be hard?_ He thought. _It's not like you were cruel to the animal before you killed it._

He cocked his brow at that answer. "You've dispatched animals before now."

The warmth in her eyes vanished as she looked at the dead animal in her left arm. Blood seeped from the nose and mouth from the head trauma. "I know. But... dunno. A fish is different from a bunny. I mean, back where I'm from they are kept as pets. And they are real cute too. I guess... I wasn't expecting the fight it gave or the damn scream. Even though the others I tried to catch did the same." A ragged sigh came from her mouth. "Sorry... I'm ramblin' at this point. I guess I better get used to it and... try to honor the animal's life as much as I can."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

A small, weary smile graced her lips. "By usin' as much of it as I can."

On returning to the house, she used scrap twine to hold the rabbit by its feet up a low tree branch. She also had his torn shirt with her.

Then, she cut into the rabbit using her dagger to peel the hide off. The whole while she made a sour face. Once she got to the head, she cut it off along with the fur and put it on the ground. Next, she cut into the belly and pulled out the handful of guts, including the heart and lungs. It must have taken her ten minutes to do all that. Adam concluded the butchering wouldn't have taken her so long if she wasn't so nervous and gained more experience.

She took a swig of her water canteen before running her hands through the water and used his torn shirt to wipe her bloodied fingers. While using the same canteen, she rinsed off the excess blood from the rabbit carcass and ran the cloth in the cavity.

"OK, I'm gonna ask you a favor until I figure somethin' else out." The guts and hide are covered with the torn shirt, she rolled them up without touching them, and held the ends up like a bag."Can you get rid of this? Somewhere away from the house?"

 _Lilia..._ He groaned to himself.

Before he answered he rolled his reddish eyes, "All right." He grasped right below her hands on his shirt. Before he could teleport away, she stopped him to put in the feet of the rabbit in the waste pile. Which she broke off considering how thin and frail the ankle bones were of the small animal.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She said smiling as she held up the skinned and gutted rabbit carcass.

Adam said nothing as he teleported away for five seconds before he reappeared. By then, Lilia was already walking inside the house with the rabbit carcass.

At that point he helped her set up for breakfast.

Before that could start, he made crude shovel blades out of the large pile of scrap wood to help dump out the ash at the fireplace hearth and toss them outside the house. The carcass sitting in repose on the cutting board he had fashioned the other day on the tent floor. They followed through the routine of lighting a new fire, a small one for doing the job necessary. Lilia pulled out the metal prongs she used to hold her grill top out of her backpack. Then, she cut the rabbit up into sections. Next, she skewered the meat using the prongs. One had the legs, the second had the arms and the last two held the torso.

"Adam, could you bring me that piece of wood please?"

The scrap is cut at a thirty-degree angle and was two feet across by eight inches and handed to her. She placed it as close as she could by the fire flat side on the stone. Then, placed the skewered meat on the slope, the mouth facing the fire. All the while the same excitement as the other night when she cooked that squash and spring onions brewed within his chest while he watched her mull over the sizzling meat to ensure a proper, safe internal temperature.

The cooked, piping hot small animal became consumed thirty to forty minutes later to the bone. Afterwards, she used her pocket knife to split and share an apple with him. Lilia took photographs of the occasion with her iPad.

Sometime later he felt rather... amorous.

He moved up from behind while she was sitting on the tent floor and wrapped his arms around her. Lilia smiled from the tender attention. Then, he kissed and lapped at her neck while running his hands across her shoulders before cupping her breasts to have the nipple harden through the cloth. A gasp came from her smiling lips.

As these things go, it wasn't long before the house echoed her cries of passion. Adam took his time to find her pleasure spots and exploit them. Not only then, but four other times the same day. The last time was a long, drawn-out affair that evening as she was on her hands and knees begging him to let her cum. When he granted it, he made sure the orgasm stretched out. Her voice turned raw, her body collapsed to fight for breath, and heavy trembles vibrated her being.

_I want to hear this sound from you forever._

—xxx—

For the next several weeks they settled into a routine.

It was the same as before of Adam's time being split between her and Eve, but now there was a new location for her to explore. Now she didn't have to worry about prying eyes or keeping secrets, even though on some days she missed them. The few photographs she snuck on her iPad as reminders.

As Lilia's and Adam's relationship grew, it continued to deteriorate with Eve. It had gotten to where they will always end in a physical altercation or they didn't meet at all, the good days becoming few and far between. Not wanting Lilia to worry, he said nothing in regards to the strained visits.

The days where him and Eve were apart, he searched through the information on Lilia's iPad; reading books, watching a movie, or any other thing. If not that, Adam on keeping his word to her that on his trips out that if he found useful items, he'd return with it. He found cast-iron pots and pans, clay plates, a one-foot, a wooden one-and-a-half foot long truncheon that wasn't as awkward to kill rabbits with, and even another tarp for the tent.

This one was much larger than the original that was eighteen by twenty-four foot and a greenish color. Lilia used it to act as the side walls of the tent when she draped it over the existing one. The excess running along the back and on the sides; she tucked under the blue tarp; the heavy stones keeping it in place. She ran what twine she had left underneath both tarps from the floor poles to the ones on the walls to act as support. At surveying the construction of the crudely fashioned tent gave Adam a greater sense of relief she was better protected from the elements. The only part that didn't have the tarp covering it was the entrance that faced the fireplace. And she made it a rule to have _no shoes_ inside the tent since the rubber from the soles pulled at the tarp.

The place where she now called home accumulated "homey" touches as she called them. During the days where Adam was absent—since she had an abundance of food, water, and shelter—she found ways of passing the time to create crafts out of the long, wide grass and other plant materials. Even useful ones such as a woven basket for the "garbage" from inedible bits of food to rabbit fur and guts. Along with a sun-hat that lined with detachable, woven flowers on the wide brim.

As Adam watched her do these humanly activities and even took part in them, he couldn't help to become aroused by it. Not a day passed when he was with Lilia that she didn't orgasm a few times. It still left him frustrated that he couldn't go "all the way" as they called it.

The machine's assumption about necessary data to help him with his "problem" proved to be correct.

As with days if he wasn't with Lilia and not Eve, he sat alone within his copied cathedral, iPad in hand to rummage through the contents. Buried underneath files he found a video titled "a little surprise_xxx.mp4" and by the extension, it was a homemade, recorded video taken in 2012 that was well over two hours long.

Curious, he pressed play.

The face of Bradly Knight greeted him.

_Oh, it's her late husband, what is he doing? Why is he naked?_

A wide smile split his face and a finger across his lips in a "shh" manner before arranging the tablet to face the bed. As he turned around scratch marks, red welts and bruises littered his back and buttocks. Silver brows raised at seeing the marks. Lilia was sound asleep, covered by thick covers. The human man stalked his way underneath them, the movements revealed that Lilia was nude as well. After a bit of shuffling, he concluded what Bradly was doing to her while she slept.

_Why is he giving oral stimulation to her genitals if she's asleep? It's rather invasive to take advantage of her vulnerable state for sexual gratification even if she's the recipient. Is it a type of trust or bond between them? Lilia did say they were boyfriend and girlfriend for several years before they were married. Interesting..._

As with the pleasure Adam gave to her, she _moaned_ but in this scenario she didn't wake until the last tendrils caused her orgasm.

 _"Good morning baby,"_ he said after planting a kiss on her lips.

_"You too. I love it when you eat my pussy in the mornin'."_

Adam was _hot_ , something about the voyeuristic nature of watching an elicit affair sent him on edge. While he was a bit put out it was another man pleasuring Lilia, another part of him held a fascination of watching normal intimate moments between humans since he had a gap in his knowledge. That "gap" being the hard, long jutting cock of the man.

The machine blinked in bewilderment from the man's next words.

_"May I have some more Mistress?"_

Her response was a wide grin as she ordered, _"On the floor and get into position."_

What followed was an hour-long session of Lilia swatting him with a black switch on his buttocks, her multiple orgasms and him begging with _please_ and _may I have more_.

Adam _pressed_ his fingers into the silicon floor. A burning thrum pulsed deep into his metal bones, an intensity unlike the times he's pleasured Lilia. It consumed him with a focus and single-minded clarity. Breath became ragged, systems unable to cool from the heat with every welt she gave her former lover.

_Pleasure can come from pain._

He wanted to experience the stings.

He wanted to be the cock she held, milked and filled her, to surround himself with every bit of humanity at a single point.

 _"Please let me cum Mistress!"_ he cried.

Sweet Lilia's round backside slapped on strong thighs to ride his hard, over-stimulated cock. _"Not until I tell you too!"_ Small swats tapped on the man's nipples as he howled.

_Please Lilia!_

The burn reached a point within him, a crest but unable to ascend.

_Tell me when Lilia! Please!_

_"Oh, you've been so good! Now! Cum in me_ now _!"_

A single ragged scream echoed in the holy sanctuary.

—xxx—

The following night for supper she had Adam slaughter a rabbit while she picked red potatoes and carrots she had found on greater exploration of the garden. Along with a small variety of herbs of rosemary, basil, parsley, thyme and dill. She had picked sprigs of thyme and dill for the dish. All the ingredients had come together in a small-sized, cast-iron pot and filled with clean water that just covered the contents. Lilia put the lid on and set it close to the fire to cook.

Lilia knew something was up with him since he hadn't pounced on her the _whole_ day. Which left _her_ frustrated.

"Lilia, I'll be right back. I have a surprise I want to do for you."

A coy grin formed on her sweet lips, "A surprise? Is this why you haven't jumped me at all today?"

He laughed and replied, "You could say that. I need to borrow a few things from here for it."

Still smiling she replied, "Go ahead. You've got my curiosity sparkin'."

Her mind buzzing as she watched him fold up the area rug she made from weaving together long, wide grass, her flashlight, a blanket, and her iPad. He gave her a smile and a wink before teleporting away. A chuckle ringing in her chest as she waited for Adam to return.

_I wonder what he has in store for me? What kind of surprise is it?_

Just as it was getting dark Adam returned via teleport.

"Well, don't you have an odd sense of timing? Dinner is finished." The smell of the mild meat of the rabbit coupled with the aromatic aroma of the herbs permeated the house.

A cocky half-grin formed on his lips. "I was counting on that. It's ready, I just need you to bring supper."

Her face looked dubious. "It's not far I hope."

"Oh, no! It's out into the garden." He assured as he picked up their clay serving bowls and utensils.

Lilia scratched her head and remarked. "Well... lets see this 'surprise' you have for me." She used thick, bundled cloth as pot holders as she raised herself with the meal. "All right Mr. Machine, lead the way." A smile on her lips as they walked side-by-side through the brick path of the garden.

At some point they walked off the path between the tomato and carrot patch. The crickets made their tunes and even the fireflies came out, their bright, yellow-green light flashed through the patches of grass and foliage. The night air cooled along with the humidity.

What she saw almost made her drop their dinner.

"You like it?" He asked, a cocky grin on his lips.

What Adam had set up was an outdoor movie theater.

She bet that during his time out with Eve he had come across a pull-down projector screen that now hung from a tree branch. It wasn't a perfect white, but it was a faded off-yellow color. It already had a picture imprinted onto it via a tinkered with the projector that was also hanging on the opposite side tree branch. Attached to the projector was her iPad that had the home screen projected onto the pull-down screen. The bright colors reflected off the surrounding landscape. At the back of the rig was her flashlight that that was going into the projector. At the base of the tree was the grass mat she made along with the blanket. Not only that, but an oil lantern he must have found. It emitted a soft, warm glow to the area.

It awakened the closet romantic in her.

She beamed at him as her body contained the excitement she had brewing in her being. "This is wonderful! I—I don't know what to say!"

A satisfied, crooked smile plastered on his face as his body relaxed. "I hope I learned something of your world. Besides, you once said 'dinner and a movie' were part of what couples did for dates."

_Date?_

"It's about time you learned something." The human woman gave a playful nudge on his arm, a coy quirk of full lips, and warm eyes. "So, what are we watchin'?"

"A _surprise_."

"Fine then. Keep your secrets."

After their little banter, they took off their shoes and Adam flipped through the device to find the movie he had decided on. While he did that Lilia prepared their serving bowls with the fragrant rabbit stew she made. Selection of a movie made, he sat next to her and took his bowl.

The blaring horn of a trumpet sounded as the old, black and white 1940s _Warner Brothers Pictures INC_ intro played. Immediately, she knew what movie he decided on once the next slide came up of a topographical picture of Africa and the names Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid.

 _Casablanca_. She thought just as the title of the movie faded in.

She continued to smile as they got comfortable at the base of the tree and she snuggled close as she could to him, handing Adam his bowl of hot stew. The blanket he took covering their legs.

Once the beginning credits finished the introduction sounded. A _Hollywood_ movie magic globe appeared and the narrator, Lou Marcelle, said, _"With the coming of the second World War many eyes in imprisoned Europe hopefully, or desperately, turned toward the freedom of the Americas..."_

The silver-haired machine watched enthralled at the old, classic movie. Despite his calm and stoic expression, she knew he was excited to watch. He always was whenever they watched a video or movie on her iPad. Watching the actors move across the sets, the historical tensions of the era, and the strained relationship between Rick and Ilsa. She had seen this movie a hundred or more times and knew the lines by heart. Even humming along as Dooley Wilson sang "As Time Goes By."

Then the ending scene, the fate of Rick, Ilsa, and Laszlo.

Lilia had draped her legs across Adam's thighs as she pressed herself tighter to him. He had wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head against his chest, their hands mingling.

As the end credits played Lilia smiled as she peppered butterfly kisses on Adam's neck. A roguish grin formed on his lips when he turned his head to met her coy lips. Mouths smacking and sucking. The hand which intertwined on her's moved to her head, holding for a deeper kiss as tongues met. While her hand caressed his chest, fingers going through the gaps between the buttons.

With one last suck he pulled back to allow her breath. Chuckling he said, "I have another surprise for you."

A knowing smile graced her mouth as her warm eyes gazed into his faintly glowing ones. "I can only guess what it is."

His own lips turned fiendish as he whispered in her ear, "You have  _no_ idea."

Tingles trailed down her spine as the hairs at the back of her neck stood at attention. A familiar ache came from between her legs and nipples hardened.

Biting her lip as a hard blush formed on her cheeks as she whispered back, "Then show me then."

Adam wasted no time in stripping her from her clothes, kissing and lapping at her exposed flesh. He laid her against the tree.

"Close your eyes," he said. "For the surprise."

With an excited smile she did just that along with holding her hands over her eyes. She sat back and parted her naked legs to expose aching flesh between decadent thighs. She knew how much of a visual turn-on this was for the amorous machine.

She could hear him undress as his clothes joined hers where they placed their shoes and the sound of him getting rid of his belt and pants. A thrum of energy tingled her skin. Then, he knelt between her legs. Her heart pounding in her ears as he caressed her thighs with wide, naked palms. Teasing kisses were on her breasts as they suckled the nipples to hardness. A soft gasp emitted from her lips. Still keeping her eyes closed and hands across them, letting the anticipation thrum across her flesh, nerves and other places, leaving her wet.

His mouth traveled up to her lips where he gave a chaste kiss. A whimper vibrated her throat as arousal spiked and her clitoris throbbed in need.

His tempting hands traveled up the curves and swells of her body to grasp her wrists and pull them away from her eyes. As she was going to open them— 

"Not yet. Keep them closed."

He straightened his torso as she could tell he stood on his knees.

"Don't move," he commanded.

A chuckle threatened to rumble in her throat. _God, this sounds so familiar, only the other way around though._

Her breath became haggard with tension as he placed her hands on his upper thighs near his Adonis belt. The muscles twitched beneath her palms.

"Touch," he said.

Her brows furrowed.

_Why would he?_

Deciding not to question it, she tickled his thighs and abdominals, alternating between gentle caresses and firmer touches, feeling the soft tackiness of his artificial skin. She heard him moan, a ragged sound.

"Lower," he said, breath becoming shallow.

Her hands were at his belly button and she lowered them.

Something brushed across her right arm.

Curious, she continued to lower her hands close to where the crotch was if he...

Had...

One...

A surprise gasp escaped her throat as a soft groan came from Adam.

She detected a drastic change in texture and temperature between his skin and whatever she was touching.

_Did... did he...?_

Upon swallowing the lump in her throat, she had one hand follow the cylindrical shape while the other descended further. A sharp moan came from Adam as she cupped a small globe in her hand while the other felt the member grow hard.

Unable to contain herself she opened her eyes.

"How...?" Was all she could get out.

Adam smiled, sheepish in the curl of lips. "I'll tell you later. It works."

A nervous smile came across her face as she took her hand and pulled all the way to the mushroom-shaped cap. A shuttering gasp was her reward from Adam.

_So it does it seems._

Experimentally massaging the long, thick shaft while her mangled hand tickled and caressed heavy balls. Adam rolled his head and groaned from her ministrations. It moved just like normal and she circled the vulnerable globes on the inside.

A visceral fantasy of having the organ she was fondling seated inside made her sway with desire. The little nub throbbed, and she dripped in anticipation.

_God it's been so long!_

A small smile formed on her lips. "Well... since this is your first time... how you wanna do me?"

Adam shuttered as his eyes closed tight closed and his dick bounced in her hand, a tremble came from his abdomen.

 _Oh? Was it something I said?_ She thought as a fiendish smile grew.

"Damn... you're tempting." He let out with a shaking breath. "I have... um, can you... be on top?"

"Want me to go on a little ride, huh?"

He nodded but turned his eyes away in shame as he admitted, "I... ah, I don't... trust myself not to... accidentally, um, hurt you."

A gasp came out from her as she realized just how hard it must have been for him to admit that. However, she knew too well how strong the machines and androids in comparison to her frail body. She rubbed the knuckles of his hands with her thumbs in a soothing manner.

"You'll be OK," she reassured. "Lay back."

Giving a nod with excitement and apprehension as he did so on the grass mat and blanket. The soft glow from the lantern and reflective light from the pull-down screen gave a touch of warmth and steady anticipation to the machine's body. Even if he were nervous.

Lilia salaciously crawled over to him, but instead of going on top of him, she lay beside him, fingers caressing his chest. Her full breasts pressing on his side. A coy smile on her lips as she leaned to give chaste kisses on Adam's lips and neck. Adam likewise pressed and groped along the arch of her back to memorize the curve of her hips. While his other hand caressed her arm and the hand that was touching his chest.

_I guess I can cross "pop a machine's virginity" off my bucket list._

Lilia weaved a little spell of seduction on the machine. Of which he was more than happy to fall into.

"Adam... if you need me to stop or... slow down, let me know, OK?" She said as she gazed into the pink glow of his eyes.

After a few moments, she turned herself to lie on top of him, her hands on both sides of his face. A hitched breath came from Adam. So close to her dripping womanhood. His greedy hands ran along the curve of her back to the swell of her buttocks. A heavy tremble coursed through his body. The mounds of her breasts in front of his face. He couldn't help but to kiss and suck on them a little. Lilia sighed from the pleasure.

She then shifted her weight, so her left hand could caress his face.

The only thing he could do is nod.

Her heart raced with anticipation and excitement. Adam's reddish eyes on her like beams, the glow in the center intensified. Greedy hands roamed her body.

Touch. Caress. _Squeeze._

She crawls back on her knees as she positions herself over his hard erection that lay flat on his belly.

A nervous gasp came from his lips as she held the head of his phallus. Delicate fingers caressing it for a moment before lining herself up. Her suggestive hip sway captivated his eyes. Nervous hands spasm on her thighs. The muscles quivering as she lowered herself downward.

"Oh, God..." she gasped as the head of his shaft pressed against her slick entrance.

She bit her lower lip as she descended.

_Yes! Damn he's so big. So real!_

Hands braced on his chest, the thrumming pulse beat within her bones. A ragged breath came from the silver-haired machine as he trailed up to her hips. Fingers clenching her soft, bronze skin.

 _Oh_ God _!_

Heated eyes lock on one another as—inch by inch—they became one. Moans and soft sighs echoed through the garden. Until, finally, she could go no more as she became stretched and filled.

The gentle pulses that came from the phallus made her tremble and groan. Her hardened bud throbbed from the tantalizations. Adam moaned deep within his chest as his eyes were wide from the pleasure of her clenching around him. The glow at the center of his eyes reached its brightest.

"Lilia..." he gasped. "This... this _feels_..."

A shy smile graced her serene face as she whispered. "I know."

Her hands tingled his abdomen as she clasped his hands around her hips in a silent command to hold hands. Once together, she made small adjustments to her leg position before she pumped herself in slow methodical movements with a roll her hips up and down and clenched as she pulled up. Half-choked moans escaped her lips as he let out strangled groans. Their hands tightened around each other. Red, lustful eyes gazed on her bouncing breasts, the arch and sway of her torso, and gawked at where they at their connection.

"Good?" she asked, voice thick and husky.

"Fuck... I... _ah!_ " He arched and rolled his eyes. "This is... _shit!_ "

A prideful grin played on her lips as she slapped down to roll and grind her hips. She shivered and sobbed as the pleasure built within her as Adam made incoherent ramblings.

_God! Yes!_

With a release of his hands, she leaned to kiss him. Lips smacked against the other as their eyes locked on the other. Dainty fingers caressed his heaving chest. Broad hands ran along her back—kneading and fondling the skin to her hips and pressed into her round ass. Seduction in the twinkle of her eyes and crook of her lips as she arched her back and pumped herself on his cock faster.

A choked, animalistic groan vibrated Adam's chest as his eyes closed and brows furrowed. Wide hands gripped her flexing buttocks hard. The position allowed her throbbing clitoris to rub against his cock, her own moans joined his.

_You like that don't you?_

Lilia braced her hands on the side of his head. The smooth, woven grass mat cool to her hot skin.

"Look at me..." she said, her voice thick before resuming a more languid pace of milking his cock. An authoritative hand pressed on his throat, red eyes flashed open. "I _said_ 'look at me.'"

All he could do was give an obedient nod.

Their moans and sighs intensified the longer she rode on his cock. His own hips pumping with hers. Cries and pleas spilled from their mouths. Her back straightened so she could straddle him. Lilia's hands grabbed his lower thighs as she continued to sway and thrust her hips as Adam pushed his groin up. Skin slapping against the other. A heady groan rumbled his chest as he saw their connection and his drenched member from her free-flowing juices. He licked his lips at the shine of moisture and the wonderful scent that came from it.

Her head rolled as Adam used his right thumb to _rub_ her aching clitoris.

A shuttering cry spilled from her throat. _Relief_ at the stimulation.

Breathlessly, she said, "That's it... _oh_... don't stop!"

Adam made an animalistic groan before her head spun as she was flipped on her back. Skin sticking to the long-grass mat. The aroused machine on top of her, securing her in a vice-like grip in his arms that didn't allow his full weight on her. His ragged breath on her right ear and neck.

"Wha...?" Was the only thing she could say before Adam thrust _hard_ into her.

The scream she emitted caused him to shutter and stop.

"I—I am sorry..." he breathed. "You OK?"

She shuttered out, "T-too hard." That thrust hit her pleasure spot within her, but instead of it feeling good it jolted a brief shock of pain.

His body shook as he tried to calm himself, then he thrust gentler this time. A pleasured moan came out of her mouth. Another thrust as she tangled her hands in silver-hair silk, moaning and kissing his neck and shoulder. Legs wrapped around his waist. Nipples ached from rubbing against his hard chest, closing her eyes and letting the sensations pulse through her. Breathless in her encouragements that he was doing _so good_. Not holding back a single moan and a strangled cry as the tension built within her.

"Lilia... the... the pressure is..." he shuttered at her throat.

"K-kiss me..." Her eyes opened as he moved his head, she wasted no time in locking lips on his. Hands pressing, digging into his flexing buttocks.

Quivering... trembling...

So _close_...

In a ragged gasp she commanded, " _Don't_ stop!"

The aching bud between her legs throbbed as he penetrated so _deep_ within her. Legs and arms clutching him tighter as the coil built. Her lead rolled, exposing her vulnerable throat that Adam licked and sucked on. Her back arched to meet his thrusts. Every muscle in her body wanted, needed— _begged_ — for release.

Until, with blessed relief, it _snapped_ within her and she couldn't breathe. The intensity whited her mind. Her body convulsed. Adam groaned as she tightened her hold on him. He couldn't hold back.

The liquid that coated her insides _yanked_ her back into another orgasm as she let out a loud, pleasured _scream_. Light orbs dotted her eyesight. Every cell in her body _cried_ in release. It _pulsed_ with the energy that was now secure in her womb. A hammering heart  _beat_ in her ears. Lungs struggled for breath. A lopsided grin formed on her face.

She heard her name. All she could answer with was incoherent mutterings.

When she could focus her eyes, Adam was looking over her with concern.

"Lilia? Lilia, are you all right?"

She giggled with a goofy grin on her face. "Hell yah... How's you?"

He said nothing as he examined her. Adam had removed himself and observed the liquid he shot into her body drip out in a lazy drip. Worry etched into his face as he collected some on his fingers. Lilia gasped from the playful tingles on her sensitive labia and opening. She watched the fascinated expression on his face as she saw the same radiant cum.

Radiant as in "glowing if faint."

"Is this... normal?"

"No," she breathed with the same goofy grin. "But... _holy shit_ that was better than anythin' I'd ever had."

She couldn't sleep that night because of how _alive_ she felt. It wasn't until the following night that Lilia was tired enough _to_ fall asleep. They didn't know what it was he ejaculated into her, but it was better than any energy drink or espresso. Other than being hyper for several hours, there seemed to be no other side-effects and no internal damage, a relief to Adam in more ways than one.

They continued their passionate interludes whenever they met. Which became anywhere that the mood struck their fancy. The house, the garden, the orchard, or the open field between the house and orchard.

Lilia admonished herself sometimes for acting like an out-of-control, sex-crazed teenager. But, given how good it was she couldn't complain too much. Adam learned quickly and his earlier fear of harming her by accident faded. Now having a better understanding of the acceptable threshold of his thrusts. And spankings.

For at least eight weeks they enjoyed the bliss they found in each other. As weather cooled at night and the sea of green on the trees faded to a plethora of yellows, oranges and bright auburn. The burning passion between them was enough to keep her warm. Burning hot beneath thick blankets.

These blissful moments became spied on by vengeful, red eyes.

Hate and malice coiled.

 _So... that is how she does it. That is how she's manipulated my brother!_ The jealous twin thought with disgust. _She made human female genitalia that could hack into any machine that fucks her. That android lured my dear brother with falsehoods of Humanity, showed him how to make a dick! Why is he letting her hurt him? Why is he begging for it?_

Only horrid notions crossed his mind of what the end goal was for that android in doing so. Pure pleasure? Or something more sinister? Was this part of the android's plan to destroy them? To let them experience sexual pleasure to make them slaves? With how frequent Adam initiated intercourse with that android during the day and how distracted he was while he was away...

_I... I will save you, brother, from that nymph. Our moments will be ours again. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TROLL! lol, I had to do the little troll at the end of 15, next chapter isn't though.
> 
> Whelp were in the home stretch! I changed the number of chapters cos I have an epilogue after 17 and my beta suggested to make it a separate one. And guess what? Those chapters are beta'd and ready to go, so the updates for those will either come this Friday (11-9-18) or the following Monday. And it will be a **DOUBLE UPLOAD** for both the final chapter and the epilogue. So you guys have about a week to get your tissues and mentally prepare yourselves.
> 
> And here's another pic of them. I finished it awhile ago but kept forgetting to upload it.  
> 


	17. As Time Goes By

_What a wonderful day out!_

The great time of the year known for warm afternoons and cool evenings. Trees had changed color as the leaves littered the garden floor. Lilia hummed towards the rabbit trap, happiness and content in each note. The distinctive cry pierced the air as she drew near the patch of thick brush. The hole concealed by the low foliage of the delicate blooms of white fall flowers.

She placed her iPad on the v-shaped branch of a tree ten feet away to look out at the surrounding landscape. Once satisfied with the placement, she hit the record button.

"Everything is lookin' good, all right!" she cleared her throat. "Now, hello future me and Adam. I am here to show the beginnings of the surprise I have for my _wonderful_ boyfriend tonight. I am goin' to kill that rabbit behind me in the hole and try to season it with some apples. Then, I'm gonna stew some squash with onions. Some stewed tomatoes. Lastly, and this is the most important bit, cook up some sticky sweet apples for dessert!" Lilia clapped her hands, excited for future plans. "I've already picked all the produce and put it all in my purse here." She then lifted said purse into view of the camera before setting it back down at the base of the tree.

"Now, that's just part one. Part two is we're gonna watch another movie together, do our own little _Netflix n' Chill_. And maybe, just maybe," she winked at the camera, "a silver-haired machine is gonna get lucky tonight."

Lilia rubbed her hands in anticipation. "All right! Let's get started! Got my dagger in my belt and my trusty mini-club." She showed said items to the camera. "Time to bag a rabbit for dinner!"

Time distorted as she walked away from the camera to the rabbit trap.

No longer was the device recording, it was playing.

A pair of stunned, red eyes watched helpless as the scene panned out. The unblinking eye of the camera as the only witness. The intense glow from his eyes reflected off the screen.

He sat within the confines of the tent they had built, shared, and made love in. The patter of rain poured outside and the fire she had lit earlier depleted into an icy chill. Adam's back pressing on the low bed he made for Lilia. Her dedicate scent surrounded the small space along with the pleasured musk of when they made love earlier that day.

Adam was alone...

... no, that's not entirely true.

As she bent to open the lid to the trap, there was a faint swishing noise off-camera that made her jump.

_"Hello?"_ she called. _"Hello?"_ Lilia looked around, holding the truncheon in hand.

Then came the pattern of walking of the dense foliage and grass.

At hearing the sound, she didn't let up from being tense, but enough to where a hand came on her hip. _"Adam? Is that you? I told you to wait for your surprise!"_

_You did... and I shouldn't have._

She then cocked her head at whoever it was off screen. _"Who... who're you? What are you doin' here?"_

_"Hey Lilia. It's nice to meet you."_ A calm and friendly voice soothed the tension.

_Eve... no... please..._

His twin came into view of the camera. Adam knew something was wrong despite his laid-back, friendly manner. The tattoo covered half his face and body.

Keeping her semi-tense posture while asking, _"Um, how do you know my name?"_

His twin scratched the back of his head in an imitation of embarrassment. _"Oh, sorry. That's my fault. The reason I know your name is cos you know my brother. I'm Eve."_

The tension in her face and posture eased and turned warm and inviting. _"Oh! You're Eve? I should've guessed. You two do look a lot alike. Nice to finally meet you!"_ She approached and embraced him in a hug.

Eve detested her touch by the clenched fists, he made that only the camera caught.

With a clearin of his throat, he said, _"Um, yes. The same."_

_"Adam has talked about you a lot."_

_"Oh? Has he?"_

Lilia gave an awkward smile and shift of her feet. _"All good I promise. Say, since you're here, would you like to stay for dinner? I'm makin' a surprise."_

_"I don't need to eat."_ The tone hard and forced.

_"Oh, um, OK. But you should stay regardless, I'm sure it'll be nice."_

His twin shook his head. _"Sorry, can't do that. I came to talk to you."_

_"Oh, um, what about?"_

_"Adam... have you noticed anything strange with him?"_

Lilia gave a confused look before she replied, _"Um, no. Not that I can tell."_

_"Well, I have."_ A simper brewed underneath his snap. _"Comes from being his twin. I can tell when something is... off with him."_

_"Nothin' bad I hope."_

_"I think it is. Looking back it started when he first met you and it's been getting worse and worse."_

Lilia took a discreet step back. Instincts binging with danger, but she tried to retain calmness. _"Do you need to talk to your brother? He's waitin' at the apple orchard close to here."_

_"I know where he is,"_ he snapped, _"but it's you who I need to talk to."_

There was a nervous tremble that the camera caught in Lilia's hands. _"Um, maybe all three of us should talk together?"_

His brother shook his head. _"No, I need to talk to_ you _."_

Another discreet step back. _"Eve... I_ really _think we need all three of us to talk together."_

_"I don't_ care _what you think. You're the only one I wanna talk to right now."_

Another step. _"I'm sorry but... I'd rather if Adam was with us. Don't you wanna talk to him to?"_ The calmness faltered, and fear crept in her voice.

_"Oh, I'll talk to him later. I want to have a nice chat with you. And what you've_ done to him _."_ Hard insinuation oozed from his lips. His eyes didn't hide the glow in them.

_"I... I haven't done anythin' to him!"_

A snarl exploded from his mouth as the tattoo covered more of his body. _"Wrong! I saw how you did it the other night! I saw the change in his code! You did_ that _to him!"_

Panic flooded her voice. _"He—He did that himself! Go ask him!"_

_"Liar!"_ the inky black from his tattoo spread more and the pink glow in his eyes intensified.

_"It's true!"_ She sputtered. _"We were havin' sex! It's normal! And the code changed itself! Go ask him,_ please _!"_

In a blink of an eye, his brother's hand wrapped round her fragile throat, lifting her off the ground. In a panic, Lilia swung her club and kicking hard, but to no avail. She went to grab the dagger on the left side of her belt. Eve saw this and threw the blade away.

_"I will_ stop _you and bring my brother back!"_ he shouted before slamming her to the ground.

The force stunned her as he heard a crack.

She only had time to let out a strangled _"No"_ before his vengeful, jealous, _hateful_ brother was on top. A faint pop of a rib. Gurgling gasps for breath. Frantic, she struck with her hand and the truncheon on his head, fighting the inevitable as he choked her. The strangling cries, the whack of the truncheon, and kicking of her feet on the dedicate flowers the only sound.

Adam's name caught in her constricted throat.

_You needed me... and I couldn't hear you..._

With a grunt of annoyance as Eve ripped the truncheon from her and swung.

One.

Eyes and mouth gaped in horror.

Two.

The rabbit screamed.

Three.

The song birds flew away.

Four.

Red stained the white flowers.

Five.

The trees shuttered as the wind's cry blew.

Six.

A red splatter stained the camera lens.

Seven.

The earth drank sticky sweetness.

Eight.

_Enough._

Nine.

_Please._

Ten.

_It's my fault._

Hands trembled as he held the unflinching device. Cold, sticky wetness streaked his cheeks. The same knotted wretched feeling at discovering her body. He waited a couple of hours at the orchard for the surprise she never made. It was dark and the aroma of rain heavy when he began his search. Panic setting when the fire was out at the house. How loud he called and yet no answer. The wind carrying the scent of blood. His auxiliary hearing couldn't detect her heart beat.

And the sickening horror that awaited him. The truncheon used for dispatching rabbits became caked in her blood. The earth drinking from her life. A weak numbness in his legs as he carried her body to the house.

He couldn't think...

He couldn't scream...

_"Adam,"_ she said, coy and warmth radiated from hazel-green eyes, _"I wanna make a surprise for you."_ Oh, her sweet smile. _"Go wait at the orchard and I'll holler for you when it's ready."_

He should have said no, but he couldn't. How could he have known his own blood could do this?

_No... I should have. Eve, you had such hatred towards her...This is what hatred means isn't it? Hatred extinguishes life, breeds ignorance, and snuffs out love._

Turning to look at her remains. She lay in repose on the bed. The blanket she used for warmth now covered her in a shroud. Now, in a different form of sleep. One she will never wake from its tight embrace.

_I should have known what was brewing in your heart. My twin... my blood... You were right Eve... we were never one..._

He took the sun-hat she wore and placed it where her head once was. With shaking fingers he flipped through her iPad and found one of her smiling. A "selfie" she called it. One that had her with the same hat in the garden she spent so much time roaming. The picture a poor substitute for the _life_ she radiated.

_This is death. I thought death was the end of life when an organism ceases to function and to decompose. But that's far from the truth. Death is the cold dark of loneliness. No more opportunities to make you smile, no more learning, no more sighs of pleasure, no laughter. No more anything. The end._

Propping the device where the hat rested he whispered, "I should have said it... I... I should have told you how much I love you..." He gazed at at the unblinking picture. Her warm eyes watching him in wait. "I love you Lilia."

In response, the screen turned black.

Just like the darkness that crept into his heart and coiled.

Forceful hands gripped the sides of the bed. The wood creaked in protest. He could sense his sub-codes wanting a shut-down.

No, he wouldn't let it.

Without hesitation, he disconnected from the server and destroyed his plug-in chip.

_I won't return. I have lived as a machine, but I... I will die a human._

A strange calm washed over him as he exited the tent and went outside facing the garden. The place that had sustained her so well with its bounty and beauty. He made a mental note to thank the humans who tilled the land in the afterlife.

But now, the same land became covered in a shroud of darkness. The stars dared not shine. The moon a thin sliver in a mocking grin. Not even the wind blew its icy chill in the offset of autumn. All was silent to where not a thing stirred. The rain clouds had fled in anticipation.

It wouldn't take Eve long to come here once he realized he had disconnected.

Wait...

...wait...

_"...If you really wanna know the concept of death, just... imagine your brother you mentioned, he gets disconnected, and he dies, how would you feel?"_ Old questions; memories echoing in his head. All he had were memories now.

_I feel nothing anymore._

_"I think... you two need to forgive each other."_

_I can't... just as I can't forgive myself. You needed me... you tried to scream for me..._

Was that the wind or did he hear humming?

The question vanished just as Eve appeared not ten feet from him. Whatever blood he had on him, he had washed away. Leaving him fresh and innocent.

_No amount of water will cleanse her blood from your guilty hands._

An expression of extreme concern was on his face. Adam almost laughed at it.

"Brother! Why did you disconnect? What's wrong?"

_That_ he chuckled at. "You know Eve. _You_ know." A mad grin on his lips. "And _I_ know." A slight tremble from anticipation vibrated his being.

His eyes, so much like his own, darted. "No! I... I don't. Please, tell me what's wrong?" Then, Eve gasped at him as Adam he felt cool energy spikes around his body and sticky, red wetness falling from his cheeks.

Adam reached behind him and revealed the bloody truncheon. "Lilia... you killed her."

Reddish eyes widened in horror as he saw the evidence of his hatred. For the woman who never meant him any harm. She who would have welcomed him with open arms.

And now, he _dared_ shake his head in denial.

"YES, YOU DID!" He shouted, anger and vengeance boiling in his breast. "You started to choke her, but she fought you with this club. You took it from her and— _and you_ —!" He couldn't say it as his body's shaking became too much. "And now..." he panted, "Lilia's _dead_ because of _you_."

The surrounding energy swirled and brighten. A mad grin on his face. "With this... I... I will have you embrace death... just like you forced onto Lilia. I promise."

The golden energy surrounded him. Coating his skin and conjoining around the truncheon, hardening the wood. His hair floated on its own. Eyes bright and dangerous as he could no longer contain his rage; the whites giving way to ebony black. His body thrummed as he levitated a foot off the ground.

"Brother—" was all Eve could muster out before Adam shoved him. But, halfway into landing with the ground, he teleported them away. Daring not to disturb the place where he called home.

_Pop!_

_THUD!_

The impact knocked the wind out of Eve. Connecting with dirt and concrete debris. Raising the glowing truncheon and swung hard. Eve jerked at the last second, dodging the blow of the club. Summoning his own energy with his right hand. Flinging his furious twin toward the crumbling walls. Halting that vibrated the air.

Barely having time to get on his feet before Adam shot energy beams at him. Teleport—right, left, right, right, left.

"Brother! I'm sorry!" Eve pleaded, loud to create an echo. "I didn't know!"

It only infuriated Adam more. " _You killed her!_ " His scream echoed through the crumbling city ruins. All his pain and fury releasing in an electrical firestorm. The surrounding machines driven mad.

"I'm sor—"

_Pop-pop-pop_ , he was on him. Adam swung. A sharp smack to Eve's left shoulder. The force made a satisfying crack to his ears.

Turning deaf to his twin's yelp of pain. Eve's counter was an energy wave at him. Only knocking Adam just a few feet. Just enough for the panicked twin to teleport to the other side of the crater.

_You can't run Eve..._

The malevolent twin will experiance the same fear as she did. He _walked_ towards him. The earth vibrating each step. Eve erected a barrier. The same Adam used to protect _her_.

"Please Adam! I didn't know!" He tried to explain, desperation in each syllable.

_It doesn't matter._

Adam rasped, "I will kill you..."

In a torrent of energy, the enraged machine _swung_. Eve's barrier _cracked_. His body _boomed_ as it impacted the crater walls.

_Pop!_ Adam was on top of him. Hand gripping his throat.

The club hitting the debris as Eve teleported away. With a scream he turned and was back at Eve.

_Whump!_ Of a kick. Grabbing the ankle as he flung him hard. A _ping!_ of a barrier from Eve. With a grunt Adam swung. The shield cracked and shot beams at him. He laughed as it only tickled.

_Fmph!_ Eve shot a beam at his face. Giving Adam temporary blindness. He roared and swung wild with burning intent. "Please stop Adam!" It was a mistake as he found the source with his enhanced ears.

"Give me your _hatred_!" He yelled.

A _foom!_ of his swing and a smack-crunch on Eve's back. He screamed as the club tore skin and dented his exoskeleton. Stumbling forward, stunned. Another blow as his body slammed into the dirt. Adam's hand on his throat.

He tried to do the same action. An energy shot came out of Adam's skin. It pierced Eve's arm. Pining that appendage. The rest of the limbs met the same fate. Eve wasn't going _anywhere_. Not even his scream of pain deterred his vengeance.

Adam knew even if he killed Eve's current body, he'll just regenerate.

Only one option presented itself to disconnect Eve and end him.

After all... they were twins created from the same body. _His_ body.

Racing through the corridors of his twin's mind. _Boom!_ There goes a defense pod. _Boom!_ A barrier. Closer and closer to his goal. All the while, his twin begged and pleaded with him.

"I... I needed nothing else brother..."

"She was taking you from me..."

"My life was contained in our moments..."

Then, he found it. The single plug that needed to be pulled.

An image of his brother materialized before him.

"Listen to me Adam... I didn't want her to hurt you. And I especially didn't want to lose you. So, let's go somewhere quiet. Together."

He looked at his brother's image that protected the plug.

A chilled smile formed on Adam's lips. He raised his hand, "No." he answered before he fired.

Screams filled his head. Eve desperate to get away. Unable to fight against the prongs that kept him pinned. His own eyes glowed out of fear. The inky black tattoo traveling up his body.

No... he won't let him escape.

Surging more of his energies into the truncheon he swung.

One.

"I loved her."

Two.

"I _loved_ her."

Three.

"I LOVED HER!"

Four.

" _I LOVED HER!_ "

The sound of his swings and resounding impacts echoed the crater within the city. Unable to stop. Not even when he was hitting the wet dirt beneath him. It wasn't until the energy within the club he had imbued expired and the wood broke. Creating a loud, crackling _snap_ that echoed.

So engrossed with his rage he didn't notice that two sets of eyes observed him in shocked horror. His head turned when he registered the crunches of their footsteps. Their swords raised at him. Letting go of the broken handle of the truncheon as it thudded on the wet dirt.

"Well... look who showed? Sorry you missed the fight." Adam said as he rose. The energy that had coated him expired a while ago. His demeanor calm despite what he had just done.

2B lowered her sword. "Where's Lilia?" The android not bothering to ask what had happened. It was obvious when they came and saw him bashing his brother's head. Or, they cared more for the safety of their friend than sibling disputes. If fratricide is considered a "sibling dispute."

A chuckle without mirth forced its way out of his mouth. "You don't have to worry about her anymore."

"What do you mean?" shouted 9S. "Where is she?!" Angry feet stomped at the machine as he grabbed him. Sword raised. "Where! Is! She!"

"9S!" 2B yanked his sword arm away. "Get a hold of yourself!"

A smile graced Adam's face. "I deserve to die with her."

The two androids looked at him in horror.

"W-what... what did you _do_ machine?! Answer me!" 9S shouted.

Lethargically he replied, "I couldn't protect her... that's... what I did."

"From what?" 2B asked more calmly than her partner, but no less disturbed.

Adam crooked his head. "Isn't it obvious?"

She shook her head and 9S lowered his weapon. He could see a tremor go through their bodies.

"I have a request..." he said. "I want you two to bury us."

Both gasped.

He continued. "Four hundred and eighty-two kilometers northwest of here is an apple orchard. There will be a stone house with a garden out back. That's where me and her will be. In the stone house. She'll be wrapped up, so you won't see what he did. Pick a nice spot in the garden and bury us together along with all of her things. I'll make sure they're all packed."

9S couldn't contain his sob as he dropped to his knees.

—xxx—

Weary red eyes watched the sun rise. Watching the bright light of day conquer the night.

Life in the garden and the world resumed their daily chore. The birds continued to sing, the crickets still chirped. Nothing in the world was out of place.

In his hand held the first gift she gave him.

_"Besides, you never know,_ you _might need a light someday."_

"I know, you spoke literally back then when you gave me this flashlight, but I never understood the reason why humans referred to someone as a 'light' and when they perish their 'light is snuffed out.' Thought came from the proclivity for metaphoric language, but it seems as though it's a literal meaning."

Adam turned around and had a harsh reminder of what he needed to do.

"You were my light, Lilia. The world I was created into didn't seem so... empty and dark."

He had spent the night he had left preparing Lilia for burial once 2B and 9S found the orchard. He had taken apart the tent and used the smaller one to wrap her and the thick, scrap twine to keep the shroud of faded blue polyethylene in place. Her body lay still on the bed he made for her. All of her belongings stored in her oversized purse and backpack are propped at the foot of the bed.

Laying in repose at the top of her shroud was the dagger she had used to butcher animals. He knew it was a YoRHa dagger and it will serve his purpose.

His footsteps echoed in the hollow, empty house devoid of life.

"Thought I had more time if I kept you safe from harm, disease, and made sure you were well fed. Maybe even prolong your short life span. A few months was all I had with you, and how long will _I_ have? How many hundreds, maybe thousands of years until this _shell_ of a body deactivates? Time used to mean nothing to me, but now, it is such a _terrifying_ aspect of reality."

Dropping to his knees on the left side of her bed, exhausted and fatigued. He took the dagger within his hands. The sheath and handle cool to the touch. Pulling the two apart until the shine of the blade greeted him.

"Lilia, I cannot face the dark hate of the world by myself, of just _existing_ in a metal shroud."

Adam had a mild surprise at how calm he was considering what he was going to do.

"I'll see you soon Lilia, my light. My greatest treasure."

His last thought before he stabbed the left side of his belly to the hilt. Pain raced through his body. Persevering to cut to the right. He couldn't bring himself to care to scream or moan in pain. If she wasn't allowed to beg for her life, neither will he. Not even when he stabbed himself again. This time in the center of his belly and he cut up to his sternum.

_Pain... sweet pain. I deserve this pain._

Reddish eyes rolled as he collapsed on top of Lilia's shrouded body. His temple pressed against the gentle curve of her chest. Lifeblood poured onto the stone floor.

Adam couldn't feel his legs as they began to spasm.

Colors faded as heavy lids closed.

A faint hum echoed around him.

_Who's that?!_

His mouth opened, but he couldn't speak.

The humming became louder.

He knew the song...

The voice that hummed it.

_It's still the same old story..._

A twitch of a smile on cool lips

_A fight for love and glory..._

_She_ hummed right in his ear.

_A case of do or die..._

He couldn't move, and he didn't want to.

Warm, welcoming hands touched his shoulders.

_The world will always welcome lovers..._

A long, pleasured sigh escaped his throat as he hummed with her.

_As time goes by..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame Dooley Wilson for this chapter. Don't forget to read the epilogue!


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***STOP!!!***  
> THIS IS PART OF A DOUBLE UPLOAD!! 
> 
> PLEASE READ CHAPTER 17 BEFORE CONTINUING!!!  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .

The androids used YoRHa Fighters to find the location of the apple orchard Adam described. Along with the stone house with an expansive garden behind it. The location beautiful, picturesque and serene. By mid-morning, they parked the Fighters on the front lawn. The perfume of the flowers scented the air. A mask that lay within the house. Their sensors picking the smell of decay.

On entering the house, it was anything but serene. It was as Adam told them. The androids  sobbed that their only human friend perished. Not only perished, but murdered. They agreed to not know how she died. Wanting to remember her as she was. Even if their last strained meeting.

However, they sensed an unease at the way they found Adam's body. He used the dagger 2B gifted to Lilia to disembowel himself, which was enough to kill him, but...

"2B..." 9S said shakenly, "what happened to Adam's head?"

The back of his head is open with surgical precision, the skull piece sitting on the floor. All the components inside are missing.

"What could have done this? And why?" 2B asked.

Later they suspected something was missing from Lilia's belongings. Her purse looked like someone rummaged through it; the items spilled out.

It was 9S who remembered, "Her iPad. It's missing."

They looked at each other in knowing. Whoever or whatever took the data components out of Adam's skull had taken Lilia's iPad. A dreaded sense of doom of the unknown knotted their insides. Even as they found a spot to bury them in the vast bounty of the garden. Even as they gave a final report on Lilia and Adam at the day's end and their findings. Not knowing what lay ahead of them.

As they tearfully left on the YoRHa Fighters, they heard humming.

It was familiar... yet...

It was too high to be a man's...

And it didn't carry the same joy as the only human that hummed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp! That's it folks! Thank you for filling my tear jar!!
> 
> If anyone is interested, I might do a bonus chapter of Lilia and Adam having more sexy fun times.


End file.
